


A Bit Green at This

by Kereea



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, For Want of a Nail, Hilarity Ensues, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-13
Updated: 2014-03-12
Packaged: 2018-01-08 15:32:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 53,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1134364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kereea/pseuds/Kereea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While the Company rested at Beorn’s, Gandalf appraised the deterioration of Mirkwood and decided the best option was to call in a favor for a little extra help in guiding the dwarves through the forest. And so Legolas Greenleaf was dragged into the quest for Erebor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Guides

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work sprang from my slight issues with Legolas' DoS characterization. Unless he has a major paradigm shift by the end of that trilogy, I can't see him being who he became in LotR and being the guy he was in DoS. And then this idea happened.

 “So, you see, I was making sure Mirkwood was passable for the company,” Gandalf explained. “In its current state, it is not.”

 “What are you saying?” Kili asked. “That we can’t go through?”

 “Let him finish,” Thorin scolded.

 “The forest has seemingly…twisted upon itself,” Gandalf continued. “Even the path would likely not keep you safe, just going in the general direction you need to. As well as, from the best I could gather, a large number of unusual beasts that have moved into the wood, and the fact that it is the Elvenking’s land.”

 “What is that supposed to mean?” Dwalin huffed.

 “It would be best if you did not cross paths with any of his guards, many of whom are patrolling due to the darkness growing in the forest,” Gandalf explained.  “So as a favor to you all, I have arranged for two guides who have a few ideas for avoiding those patrols and some excuses should you run into them anyway.”

 “Guides?” Bilbo asked. “So you’re not coming with us?”

 “I have other things I must attend to,” Gandalf said. “Deeply urgent things. The guides will meet us at the gate and explain the situation as best they know it.”

 “Forgive me for not liking the sound of that,” Thorin said.

 “You do not have to like it, Master Oakenshield, only accept it,” Gandalf said. “Here we are. Let the ponies go back to their master.”

 As the company all shouldered their packs and weapons Fili asked, “So where are these guides?”

 “Not late, I’d hope!” came from behind them.

 “Ah, Estel, Greenleaf,” Gandalf said. “Thank you for doing this for me.”

 Bilbo noticed all the dwarves go stiff, not at the rugged Man, but the elf behind him.

 “You’re welcome, Mithrandir,” the elf said politely. “I doubt anyone should try crossing these woods without escort anymore, myself.”

 “And why’s that?” Fili asked, glaring at the elf.

 “Primarily the giant spiders,” the elf drawled. “And the path being all-but destroyed at this point. And the current mood of the king.”

 “Let’s just say if he did find you lot he’d be even less disposed to letting you through that he would normally have been,” the man said. “We’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

 “And you trust these two, wizard?” Thorin asked.

 “Absolutely,” Gandalf said. “I shall leave you now. Greenleaf, Estel, I leave them to you.”

 The wizard turned his horse around and galloped off. Bilbo swallowed at the tension filling the air.

 “Anyone with ranged weapons, keep them out at all times,” Estel said. “Legolas, you go ahead, see how the path’s faring. Everyone else, with me.”

 The elf vanished into the forest and Bilbo watched the dwarrow’s eyes follow him.

 “He will not do you harm,” the ranger said, pulling his own bow off his back. “I swear it.”

 “We have not had the best track record with elves,” Balin said diplomatically  as they followed the man into the woods.

 “Legolas knows the deterioration of these woods better than I,” Estel said. “So I’m afraid you need him for now.”

 “And our plans for dealing with the king?” Thorin asked gruffly.

 “If at all possible, do not encounter him,” Estel said. “Avoid the elven patrols. If we cannot avoid the patrols then Legolas will distract them and I’ll take you the rest of the way.”

 “Patrols over _spiders_?” Nori asked.

 “Over spiders larger than those ponies you just released,” the elf said, reappearing. “Estel, the path is covered but intact until that pit we located a few days ago.”

 “Well, that’s something,” Estel sighed. He turned to Thorin, “Master Dwarf, other than the three of us with bows, what ranged weaponry does this company have?”

 “Fili and a few others have throwing knives,” Thorin said. “A couple of us have darts as well.”

 “Don’t bother with the darts against the spiders, their skin is too thick,” Legolas said. “There’s also a lot more webs after the gorge than there were last I saw. Touch none of them.”

 “We _know_ how spider webs work,” Fili said.

 “Good. The last few trying to get through didn’t,” Legolas said, either not noticing Fili’s tone or ignoring it. “The webs shouldn’t be too think until after about three or four days travel, depending on the spider’s speed of resurgence.”

 “And is there any way for you to guess that?” Bilbo asked.

 The elf shrugged, “Not really. If the patrols are doing their jobs where they’re supposed to be doing them, then the spiders shouldn’t be trying too hard to expand in our direction at the moment.”

 “And you are sure of the schedules?” Balin sked.

 “They have not changed in a decade. I see no reason they would now,” Legolas replied.

 “A _decade_ and these beasts of undefeated?” Dwalin drawled.

 “I believe the current strategy is simply to keep them from elven territory, to drive them out, not to wholly defeat them,” Legolas said.

 “Doesn’t seem to be working,” Gloin said.

 “I never said it was,” Legolas replied. “Path curves here.”

 “But it’s vanished!” Bilbo said.

 “It’s here,” Estel said, tapping a boot on ground that echoed as stone. “It’s just buried.”

 “If it’s the elven road, why aren’t you lot maintaining it?” Kili asked.

 “I do not know,” Legolas replied. “A few of the guards have tried to work on it on their time off, but those bits of road lie closer to the strongholds than we shall be going if at all possible.”

 “Mahal willing,” Balin said and the group fell into tense silence.

.o.o.o.

 “That’s not a pit, that’s a ravine!” Fili said.

 “It’s gotten bigger,” Estel said. “Greenleaf?”

 “I’m not sure, give me a moment,” the elf said, heading up a tree.

 “How long ago were you last on this path?” Thorin asked sternly.

 “Less than two months,” Estel said. “It was half that size then. The question is, is it as long as it looks?”

 “What?” Thorin asked.

 “Surely some of you have noticed these woods try to addle your mind,” Estel replied. “Legolas! How does it look from up there?”

 “I think we need someone with an axe or similar here!” Legolas replied.

 The company looked at Dwalin, who was eyeing the tree with distaste.

 “I’ll do it,” Fili said. “I’m a better climber than you anyway.” He and Dwalin exchanged smug and annoyed looks, respectively.

 “Be careful,” Thorin ordered his older nephew as the axe was secured and Kili gave his brother a boost to the first branch.

 The group on the ground listened to what they could barely hear.

 “That one and that one.”

 “So you mean to-?”

 “Yes, light often disrupts this strangeness.”

 “All right. Anyone too close to the tree back up!”

 Loud cracking sounds filled the area until two large branches tumbled down, letting in a large shaft of light that shone over the canyon.

 Suddenly said canyon looked a good deal smaller.

 “Huh, you were right,” Fili commented as he dropped from the lowest branch.

 “Then why not simply cut away all offending branches?” Dwalin asked the elf that dropped down beside Bilbo and Balin.

 “They’d be back in a week. Something unnatural is affecting these woods,” Legolas said. “I’m sure I’ve said that a fair few times by now.”

 “Greenleaf!” Estel scolded.

 “Sorry,” Legolas said. “Just…seeing the forest like this…”

 “No wonder you tried to take a vacation in Rivendell.”

 “Oh, that’s not the only reason,” the elf told his friend quite seriously. “All right, now, how to cross what there is of that…”

.o.o.o.

 A few hours and a makeshift rope-and-branch bridge later and they were over the ravine and making camp on the path on the other side.

 “We’ll need one archer awake at all times,” Estel said.

 “I’m not tired,” Legolas shrugged. “I won’t need sleep for a while yet.”

 “I’d still say have at least a third of us stay awake,” Estel told the company. “Even if Greenleaf doesn’t need to sleep, the rest of us do.”

 “Elves don’t eat meat, right?” Bombur asked, setting up his cooking supplies.

 “I am fine. I’m really not that hungry either,” Legolas shrugged, leaning a tree.

 “Give me a carrot,” Estel told Bombur. He chucked said carrot at Legolas’ head and it dropped into the elf’s hands on the rebound from his ear. “You’re eating that. How you can act more immature than me when I’m barely a hundredth your age I’ll never know.”

 Legolas spat something in Elvish before hopping onto a low branch to apparently sulk.

 “How long have you two known each other?” Bilbo asked.

“He taught me archery when I was young,” Estel said. “And Gandalf’s known him since _he_ was young as well.”

 “And you were raised in Rivendell?” Bilbo asked. “Before becoming a ranger?”

 “Indeed, Master Hobbit,” Estel said as Bombur began making a very fast, very small amount of stew. “That is where my name, Estel, comes from. Others call me Strider, as my ranger name. And then there’s my birth name as well.”

 “Sounds quite complicated, all those names,” Fili said.

 “Well, Gandalf has many titles and names as well, so I comfort myself with the knowledge that he has to answer to more names than I do,” Estel chuckled.

 “Dwalin, Bifur, Nori, Oin, and I will take the first watch,” Thorin decided after a moment. “Then Estel, Dori, Bofur, and Bombur. Kili, Fili, Gloin, Ori, and Bilbo shall be last before we travel on.”

 “Good divisions, Master Oakenshield,” Estel replied. “Though I’d rather have food than rest, myself.”

 “Good things come to those who wait,” Bombur scolded.

.o.o.o.

 “Did you rest at all?” Bilbo asked the elf after he was awakened for the last watch shift.

 “I relaxed in a tree and ate a carrot under duress from my friend,” Legolas shrugged. “That is more than sufficient rest.”

 “Well, you’re the one who said we needed the archers ready, so don’t fall asleep on us,” Gloin said, keeping an eye on the breakfast pot Bombur had started before nodding off.

 “I will not,” Legolas replied. “And we will all need to be on our guard. This far in is sure to be infested with the spiders.”

 “There a best place to shoot them?” Kili asked, checking his arrows.

 “In the head if you can, though center of the body works as well if the head is not an available target,” Legolas said. “If your blade’s short, stab the head or cut off a leg. Only long enough blades will get into the bodies.”

 “Take it you’ve been with the patrols hunting those things?” Gloin asked.

 “Almost every elf in these woods has,” Legolas replied.

 “Almost?” Fili asked.

 “Like every race, we have those of that that frankly should not be sent into battle,” Legolas said. “And frankly the spiders feel more like an invading army than a pest problem most days.”

 “You said you didn’t agree with how they were being cleared, though,” Bilbo pointed out.

 Legolas pursed his lips. “I am with the captain of the guard that we should deal with all the spiders, not just the ones inside our borders. That is all.”

 Fili and Kili looked like they were torn between pressing the issue more and letting it go, but Bilbo could tell and sent them a look to keep them quiet. Whatever was bothering the elf, Bilbo had a sense it was a bit of a quarrel with his king, and Bilbo wouldn’t force the archer to reveal the full details of such a quarrel to people he barely knew.

 Besides, the company of all people should understand loyalty to a king, including loyalty to a king you disagreed with.

.o.o.o.

 “Here’s where we have to be very careful,” Legolas said. “This river is…odd. You fall asleep if you touch its waters.”

 “Seems like an odd thing for a river all right,” Kili noted.

 “Why is there a rope across?” Balin wondered.

 “There’s a small boat. You pull yourself along the rope,” Aragorn said. “And the river’s not too wide so we _should_ be able to see it…”

 “Accursed fog…” Bilbo muttered.

 “There’s always a boat,” Legolas said, tucking his hair into his collar. “So I can go find it.”

 With that he swung onto the rope, hanging by his hands and knees, and began slowly making his way into the fog.

 “Greenleaf, you see it?” Estel called.

 “Yes. Just a little…yes!”

 There was a splash.

 “Legolas!” Estel snapped.

 “I’m _in_ the _boat_. Really Estel?”

 “Oh thank goodness…” Estel muttered. “Overdramatic pain in the…worse than the twins, I swear…”

 “I am not,” the elf contested, pulling the boat to shore. “As long as we keep the weight distribution even, we can probably have two or three go at once.”

 Crossing was slow-going, with much calling back and forth between shores. Bilbo ended up in the last boat with Thorin and Bofur.

 “Seems to have gone well so far,” Bofur ventured as he and Thorin pulled them across and Bilbo shifted about to keep the boat level as needed.

 “Forgive me for not counting my gems before they’re unearthed,” Thorin replied. “The elf is being evasive about something.”

 “I think he…well, he’s mad at his king over some things,” Bilbo said quietly, moving as the boat rocked when Thorin and Bofur started to go a bit fast. “And likely worried he’ll be in trouble for helping us.”

 “Makes a good point,” Bofur said. “And at least this one has kept to his word for now. Besides, that man seems ready to keep him in line.”

 “And here we all all,” Balin said, looking quite pleased as their boat landed.

 “Remember when one of the twins fell in?” Estel asked Legolas.

 “You were but a child, then,” the elf said.

 “Yes, and it was the funniest vision of my young life,” Estel replied.

 “Yes, it probably was,” the elf chuckled.

 “Twins?” Bilbo asked.

 “Lord Elrond’s sons,” Estel said. “I was placed under Elrond’s guardianship after my parents passed as they were good friends. I grew up with his sons and daughter and dear friends.”

 “We did not see these sons and daughter in Rivendell,” Thorin noted suspiciously.

 “As you did not see me. The twins and I were out helping their sister Arwen gather herbs for a few days,” Estel said. “She is a powerful healer.”

 “I think we’ve found your spiders.”

 The drwarves watched Legolas go very stiff as he strode forward to Fili and Dwalin. “Oh no.”

 “What is it?” Thorin asked sharply before hissing in annoyance when he drew level with the other three.

 The path ahead was surrounded in spider webs as far as they eye could see.


	2. Slow Going

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group's journey through Mirkwood continues as some of Legolas' motivations come to light.

 “This will take some doing,” Legolas said. “We must not disturb the webs at any cost.”

 “That will be a problem,” Thorin  stated bluntly. “One wrong move and we would likely strike not one, but many of those things.”

 “We’re just going to have to move slowly for now,” Estel said. “How likely would it be for the whole way to be like this, anyway?”

 “Not very,” Legolas said. “The spiders tend to work in pockets of the forest. Maybe a day or two’s walk would see us through.”

 “A slow walk?” Thorin asked.

 “Yes. A day or two’s slow walk,” Legolas said. “Estel, at the front. Kili…?” He seemed to be checking to make sure he had the right name.

 Kili nodded.

 “Middle,” Legolas said. “I’ll take the rear. Bows out at all times. Those of you with throwing weapons as well—have them ready.”

 They crept through the webs as the woods darkened further. It went from dimly lit to where Bilbo could barely see a thing.

 “We’re not going to be able to avoid the webs if we can no longer see them,” Estel complained.

 “We dwarves can see quite well in low light,” Thorin said.

 “I’m not having any trouble either, Estel,” Legolas said.

 “Well I am and it looks like the hobbit is too,” Estel said.

 Thorin looked at Bilbo, his piercing blue eyes only just visible. “Balin, watch the burglar. Warn him if he is going to step too near to a web.”

 “Ah, thank you, Thorin, Balin,” Bilbo said.

 “It shouldn’t be this thick,” Legolas muttered. “They must be getting bigger…”

 “I hope you never have to actually calm anyone, Greenleaf,” Estel grumbled.

 “Web to your left, Bilbo,” Balin said.

 “Thank you,” Bilbo said, pulling his steps to the right. “I’m glad some of us can see at least.”

 “I’ve been in darker mines, lad,” Balin assured him.

 “Yeah, this isn’t too bad,” Fili added. “Not that Kili ever did much mining.”

 “I don’t like it, okay?” Kili muttered. “I did all the hunting, anyway…”

 “Both of you stop it,” Thorin ordered.

 Two murmurs of “Yes, Uncle” drifted forward as the group journeyed on.

.o.o.o.

 “The wood’s not burning,” Gloin huffed.

 “We can see that,” Nori said as the latest attempt sputtered and smoked but gave no real light or warmth.

 “The woods are sick,” Legolas said quietly. “Especially where the spiders dwell. I don’t think we’ll manage a fire here.”

 “Great,” Bilbo said. He couldn’t see a thing anymore and only knew the others were there and he wasn’t hallucinating because Thorin and Balin were both sitting close enough to brush shoulders with him.

 “Should we even sleep?” Fili asked from somewhere to the left.

 “If all you dwarves and Legolas can see, then it is only Bilbo and I who are truly blind right now,” Estel said. “Unless you intend to leave only the two of us awake, we should be all right if we all stay here and together.”

 “Stop shifting like that,” Thorin said.

 “I’m sorry, what?” Bilbo asked.

 “I think he’s talking to me?” Legolas offered.

 “Yes,” the king said.

 “Well, my apologies, but being in the woods when they are like this is not exactly… _easy_ for a wood elf,” Legolas said.

 “Then why are you here?” Fili asked.

 “Mithrandir asked it of me,” Legolas said. “Also I want you to evade the Elvenking as much as you wish to do so. He is already stressed by the state of the forest and I do not think you could reach an accord given the well-known animosity between our peoples. It will be better for all for you to get through unnoticed.”

 Bilbo felt Thorin’s leg shift as the dwarf started tapping his foot impatiently.

 “Well, if Gandalf trusts you…” the king relented. “Very well, we should set out new shifts.”

.o.o.o.

 Estel had argued Legolas into sleeping this time, giving the currently-awake dwarves the rare sight of an unconscious elf in their midst.

 “Wonder if they all sleep like that,” Nori mused as Bofur quietly worked on his whittling. Legolas’ head was pillowed by his arms and his legs were very slightly bent, mimicking the bow that lay beside them.

 “Given the variety of sleeping positions in this company alone, I would hazard a no,” Balin said.

 “Still, makes them look less…what’s it, over-composed?” Nori offered.

 “For an elf he’s been quite emotional,” Thorin said flatly. “Of what _composure_ do you speak?”

 “You know that…thing they all have. That weird cold composure where they barely react to things,” Nori said. “I barely saw any of those Rivendell elves crack a smile. Even when they looked disapproving it was all eyes, no real facial movement., Creepy as anything. Give me Dori’s frowns any day.”

 “This one does seem to be trying that, but failing,” Bofur said, leading to chuckles. “Maybe it’s an acquired skill? Or something about the woods’ state makes it harder, like he’s always complaining?”

 “His being easier to read may be a boon,” Balin told Thorin. “Might make him a bad liar if he ever tries to deceive us.”

 “We shall see,” Thorin said. “We shall see.”

.o.o.o.

 “So, if you’re an elf, you’re pretty old right?”

 Legolas looked at the young dwarf with the braided mustache. Kili’s brother Fili. “I’m considered a bit young for an elf, but by your standards, yes.”

 “Have you ever seen Erebor?”

 Legolas frowned. “A few times from Dale. I never visited there personally, though. My father didn’t like the idea of me going. Not that he likes me running off to Rivendell so much these days either.”

 “Running off?” Kili asked.

 “Estel says I have wandering feet,” Legolas said, shrugging. “I do not like being forced to stay in one place long.”

 “So when you said the forest being like this wasn’t the only reason you went to Rivendell…” Kili said.

 “I just had to go somewhere different. Somewhere less confining than the kingdom itself,” Legolas said.

 “Isn’t the whole forest technically the elves’ kingdom?” Ori piped up from trying to help Nori wake Dori for the day.

 “Is Erebor all of the Lonely Mountain?” Legolas asked. “The kingdom I’m talking about is the city itself. It’s just a bit stifling at times. And wandering the forest alone is generally a bad idea right now as well.”

 “Wow. We’re looking for a home and you’re trying to run away from one. This is a fun bunch,” Fili chuckled.

 “I’m not running away from anything!” Legolas protested.

 “What’s he running away from?” Dwalin asked, waking up.

 “His dad, I think,” Kili replied.

 “Aw, Greenleaf, are they picking on you?” Estel teased.

 “Not a word, or I might just let _you_ wander off the path, my friend,” Legolas grumbled.

 “Some friend you’d be then,” Kili pointed out.

 “Your brother is _such_ a comedian,” Legolas told Fili.

 “Isn’t it tragic?” the blonde dwarf asked with a grin.

.o.o.o.

 “Well…it’s not webs,” Bofur said a few days later.

 “Just more overgrowth,” Estel said. “We can cut through.”

 “Well, then let us begin,” Thorin said, drawing his sword and attacking the hard, wooden vines.

 Legolas dropped the longknives he’s just drawn.

 “Greenleaf?” Estel asked.

 “Orcrist,” the elf said, staring at Thorin’s sword.

 “You know of it?” Bilbo asked.

 “Where did you get that sword?” Legolas asked hoarsely.

 Kili and Fili’s jaws dropped at the vision of an absolutely shocked elf. Ori pulled out his ledger and quickly started sketching the image for dwarven posterity.

 “Are you implying something?” Dwalin asked as Thorin gave the elf a wary look.

 “What? No, no, I just…I know of a former wielder, is all,” Legolas said quickly. “I merely wondered how it fell into the hands of someone I would run into.”

 “…We found it in a troll hoard, lad,” Balin said at last. “Looked like it had been there awhile, Bilbo’s too.”

 “ _Trolls_ …” Legolas said quietly.

 “It was more than an Age ago, Legolas,” Estel said. “They probably had passed between hands many times.”

 “I would not wish trolls on any wielder of that blade. Or being stuck in a troll hoard for the blade itself,” Legolas said firmly.

 “How do you know of those swords, then?” Fili asked as the elf picked up his knives.

 “It is from the fall of Gondolin,” Legolas said. “That was supposedly the sword of Glorfindel, who slew the Balrog. There are pictures of it in many elven tomes.”

 “But Glorfindel died there and it’s generally assumed the sword went with him,” Estel added. “But other tales say he gave it to the group that was being evacuated for safety, so now we know what really happened.”

 “Well, it has a new wielder now,” Dwalin said, still attacking the vines.

 Legolas nodded, “Indeed. I am very glad someone rescued it from such a fate.”

 “Dwalin, stop swinging so hard,” Balin admonished quickly to break the ensuing uncomfortable silence before it could take hold. “The rebounds are almost hitting poor Bofur.”

 “Maybe a more diagonal motion?” Gloin suggested, hefting his own axe.

 “I’d suggest more of a back-and-forth move, myself,” Fili offered.

 “I think it’s more of a you-can’t-rush-it situation,” Dori said.

 “Great. The forest itself wants to slow us down,” Kili declared.

 “I said it was sick,” Legolas pointed out.

 “So sick forests cop attitudes?” Kili asked.

 “…That’s a decent approximation,” Legolas said, shrugging.

 “And it also makes elves cop attitudes?” Estel asked innocently. Legolas glared at him.

.o.o.o.

 “How long have we even been in here?” Kili whined.

 “I’d wager just under three weeks,” Legolas replied. “We should be getting close to the edge now.”

 “Should be or will?” Thorin asked.

 “…Should be,” Legolas said finally. “The path is in such disrepair that it is harder to judge.”

 “Then how do we know we are even going the right way?” Gloin demanded.

 “We are going the right way,” Estel said, sounding quite sure.

 “But how do you know?” Nori asked. “We’ve had so many twists and turns, how do you even know which way we’re heading now?”

 “We’re going northeast,” Legolas said. “Towards your mountain.”

 “But you just said you could not judge-”

 “How far, _not_ what direction,” Legolas argued, whirling on Dwalin. “In case you have not noticed, there are dark, sickened woods as far as the eye can see and this path is the only thing keeping you remotely safe. If you’d like to stray from it, please, be my guest master dwarf, but if not I would like no more of your abuse today!”

 “Greenleaf, calm down,” Estel said.

 “I’m sorry,” Legolas said, running his hands through his hair. “I just…the _forest_ …I…I apologize for shouting.”

 Dwalin pursed his lips before nodding to accept the apology.

 “If you had to guess, then?” Thorin asked.

 “Three days. Maybe four,” Legolas said.

 “Makes sense to me,” Bilbo said. “Gandalf and Beorn both said more than three weeks but less than four if we were quick about it.”

 “Then we press on for now,” Thorin said. He glanced back and frowned in concern, “Kili?”

 “Sorry!” his younger nephew said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Just a headache, I promise.”

 “We know, lad. It’s this place,” Balin said.

 “At least you haven’t been seeing things,” Bilbo offered.

 “Wow, Bilbo, first you can’t see anything and now you’re seeing things that aren’t there!” Fili teased.

 “Oh hush up,” Bilbo muttered.

 “Fili, stop,” Thorin said. “We do not need any more fighting.”

 “Yes, uncle.”

.o.o.o.

 “Those must be some very smart spiders,” Ori noted.

 “This is bad,” Legolas said.

 “No, really?” Estel asked. “Should have known they’d think to weave over the path eventually.”

 “It’s still decently high up,” Dwalin noted. “So it shouldn’t even snag you, elf, unreasonably tall as you are.”

 “But they will likely walk up there. And they will see us,” Legolas said, ignoring the barbed words.

 “We’ll just have to keep moving until it ends,” Estel said.

 “But we’ve already walked for hours,” Bofur pointed out.

 “We can rest,” Thorin said. “We just shall not sleep.”

 “Stay very, very close,” Estel told everyone. “Archers in the old positions. Knife rule’s back too.”

 “Would there be any warning?” Bilbo asked quietly.

 “Some clicking,” Legolas said. “Or one of us yelping when they go into to paralyze us.”

 “Oh, yes, fear-mongering, very helpful,” Gloin said.

 “It was _just_ a _warning_ ,” Legolas sighed.

 “Come on, Gloin, he’s pretty okay. You know, for an elf,” Kili said.

 “Thank you,” Legolas said.

 “Shh,” Estel said sharply. “The webs are moving.”

 Everyone looked around, but not one appeared to have touched them.

 “Walk faster,” Thorin decided.

 Bilbo wanted to moan as loud clicking sounds filled the air.

 “Stand and fight,” the proud dwarf amended.

 “Oh dear,” the hobbit sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A common explanation in the fandom for Thranduil's attitude even when not faced by dwarves is that he's somehow being affected by the encroaching darkness in the forest. If so, why not other elves like his son? Also, I know Legolas isn't technically a wood elf by genetics, but he is an elf of the woods, so that's what he meant.


	3. Cornered and Captured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's worse, the spiders, or what follows?

 “Remember, heads are better than bodies,” Legolas said, his eyes scanning around quickly. “Bodies only if you have a long enough blade. Don’t get stabbed or you’ll be paralyzed.”

 “How big did you say these were?” Bilbo asked, drawing Sting.

 Legolas released an arrow and the company’s eyes followed it into the head of a spider larger than Bombur.

 “Around that-sized to pony-sized,” the elf said.

 “Oh boy…” Fili sighed as Kili glared and let an arrow fly, toppling another spider from the opposite direction.

 “Good job,” Thorin said quietly. Kili beamed at the praise.

 “Do we try to keep moving?” Bilbo asked.

 “I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Dwalin said as the clicking only intensified.

 Ori yelped as a spider came seemingly out of nowhere, and Kili and Legolas’ arrows struck its body as Bifur’s spear plunged into its head.

 “Oh dear,” Bilbo said as Thorin whipped around and served a spider’s head before it reached the party.

 “Stay together!” Thorin ordered as Fili pulled the arrows out of the dead spider and shoved them back to their respective shooters.

 Biblo ducked as something went over his head—Dori’s bolas, which tripped up a spider so Gloin could axe it.

 “I think we might have found a nest!” Estel said, letting an arrow fly.

 “Wonderful!” Legolas snapped back sarcastically, shooting into the trees and killing another spider.

 The battle grew more chaotic as spiders began to descend from above as well as trying to rush in from the sides. Overhead was generally not a direction one expected enemy attacks to come from and thus trained to deal with, and it showed as many a spider was only just stopped before grabbing someone.

 Thorin pulled his swords through a spider’s neck only to see fangs when he turned, but then those fangs fell as Bilbo rammed his sword into the spider’s belly.

 “Thank you,” Thorin said.

 “Thank me later!” Bilbo protested.

 “They’re pushing us from the path!” Estel said.

 “Ori was right, they’re quite clever indeed,” Dwalin said, cleaving the four left legs off one spider to give Nori the chance to bash its head in.

 “They know it’ll be easier if we’re in smaller groups,” Legolas agreed, still firing.

 “What I don’t understand is—whoa!” Kili yelped as the edge of the path he, Fili, Bifur, and Legolas stood on gave way, sending them down an incline.

 “Kili! Fili!” Thorin bellowed.

 “Bifur!” Bofur called after his cousin.

 “This just got a lot worse,” Estel muttered.

.o.o.o.

 Legolas hit the ground in a tumble, managing to pull a knife and swing it behind himself and kill the spider before it could paralyze him. “Everyone all right?”

 “We have to get back to the others!” Fili said.

 “That’s a yes,” Kili added as Bofur made an assenting grunt and speared a smallish spider.

 “You’re both archers,” Fili noted. “And that makes you both major threats. They might have singled you out.”

 “They’re _spiders_ for crying out loud!” Kili yelled.

 “They are of a great darkness,” Legolas corrected, shooting a spider from a nearby web. “And they act as one. Natural spiders are not often so cooperative.”

 “Great, they’re good at being a team, we have to get back up there!” Fili argued.

 Bifur yelped and collapsed.

 “No!” Legolas said, shooting the spider that had begun to web up the dwarf.

 “I’ll drag him, you two shoot,” Fili decided. “Come on, back up that hill, right now.”

 “I’m running low on arrows here,” Kili said.

 “You have a sword, then!” Fili argued. “Come on!”

.o.o.o.

 “Should we go down there?” Bilbo asked Estel.

 “I don’t know,” the ranger admitted. “Legolas should be able to get them back on the path.”

 “They may be out-numbed and injured,” Oin pointed out.

 “So are we, frankly,” Estel said. With only one archer the spiders had a much easier time getting close to the group, no matter how well its warriors performed.

 “We have to do something!” Bilbo argued.

 “We will as soon as we are not so pinned-down,” Throin agreed.

 “It’s never been this bad,” Estel said. “The darkness must be growing if there are this many.”

 Bilbo fingered the ring. He could turn invisible and go look for the four himself. But there was no way he could do so without being noticed—he was sandwiched between Thorin and Bofur as it was, at the very least they would both see him vanish.

 He frowned, ducking a swing from Thorin that sent a spider that was trying to sneak up behind them flying. Why exactly did he care if they knew? Why hadn’t he told Gandalf by now anyway? Surely a ring of invisibility was of little consequence?

 He opened his mouth to offer to go look himself but nothing came out.

 He didn’t want them to know about the ring. It was his, wasn’t it? His alone and-

 “What’s with that look?” Bofur asked.

 “Wh-what?” Bilbo asked blankly.

 “You looked angry,” Bofur said, his pickaxe pinning a spider which Bilbo helpfully stabbed in the head.

 “J-just worried. Frustrated and worried,” Bilbo said. “They should have been able to get back up here by now, yes?”

 “We are all worried,” Thorin said.

 Bilbo smiled weakly and nodded, wondering why he didn’t just say it. Why he couldn’t.

.o.o.o.

 “Duck!” Kili snapped. Fili heeded and hit the ground as an arrow whistled past him and Bifur into a spider.

 “Two left,” Kili said worriedly after glancing at his quiver.

 “Better than none,” Legolas said, thumbs twitching on his longknives.

 “When you run out, take Bifur. I still have my throwing knives,” Fili offered.

 “But you said I should use my sword-”

 “I have a sword too and I’m better with it than you are with yours!” Fili argued.

 “Not now!” Legolas shouted as Bifur yelled the same in Khuzdul.

 “We’re going to die here, aren’t we?” Kili asked.

 “Kee, do not get defeatist on me right now!” Fili said. “I really can’t take—Kili!”

 “No you don’t!” Legolas spat, quickly killing the spider and depriving it of its prize.

 “Can’t…move…” Kili hissed.

 “We can’t carry them both and defend ourselves,” Fili said.

 “We’ll have to stand and fight here,” Legolas said. “Rejoin the others later. It’s all we can do.”

 Bifur huffed something.

 “What?” Legolas asked, looking at Fili.

 “He says give him his spear, he thinks it’s wearing off of him,” Fili said, pushing the polearm over. “Kili, calm down and just be a lookout, okay?”

 “We’re going to be fine,” Legolas said calmly. “We are going to get out of this and we are all going to be just fine.”

 “Forget what Estel said. You’re good at comforting people,” Kili chuckled.

 “Thank you,” Legolas said, looking around. “I don’t hear them. I don’t see them, either.”

 “Perhaps we got them all?” Fili asked hopefully. “At least for this area?”

 “Perhaps,” Legolas said.

 Bifur shouted what could only have been a warning as a screech tore through the trees and the largest spider they’d seen yet barreled towards them.

 “Oh no,” Fili muttered, drawing his sword.

.o.o.o.

 Over half of them had been paralyzed by now, and Estel was out of arrows.

 “Can this day get any worse?” Bilbo moaned.

 An arrow shot out of the trees and killed a spider that had been giving Thorin trouble. He stared at the projectile, eyes darkening as he realized who owned it, “Apparently, Master Burglar, it can.”

.o.o.o.

 “No, no, no!” Fili hissed, struggling to his feet. The spider had knocked him and Legolas aside, clearly intent on the easier, already-downed prey. It has begun to web Kili and Bifur up weh Legolas threw one of his knives into its backside, enraging it.

 “Kill it!” the elf said, holding his ribs from the fall.

 Fili adjusted his grip on his sword and rushed at the best-

 Only for it to fall from two arrows to the head as an elven maiden dropped in front of Kili and Bifur.

 Kili looked rather awe-struck and Fili bit down the urge to mock his brother for giving an elf such a look. He just slipped around her and began working on the webs, as she seemed far too occupied in looking at their guide.

 “ _Legolas_?” the she-elf asked, the other elf who was only now just regaining his footing.

 “Tauriel!” Legolas said. “No, then there’s a patrol…?”

 “Already here,” Tauriel drawled as Fili finally cut his brother and Bifur free.

 “Grand,” Legolas muttered. “Can you possibly distract them long enough for Estel and I to get our party far, far away?”

 “Not possible,” Tauriel said.

 “…Can _I_ distract them long enough for you to help Estel get them away?” Legolas tried.

 “I’m starting to wonder why you’d be such a good distraction, you know,” Kili said.

 Tauriel minutely shook her head as two heavily armed elves leapt into the clearing, the apology clear in her eyes.

 “Uh oh…” Fili sighed.

 “Your highness!” one of the elves said in shock before switching to the Elven tongue.

 Fili frowned at the proceedings. He couldn’t tell what was being said, but the tones were clear enough. Legolas was curt and nervous, Tauriel was a bit confused but still rather clearly taking Legolas’ side, and the other two were _very_ confused and constantly pointing at the dwarves.

 Bifur signed a question asking why Legolas had just been called “your highness” and Kili looked at Fili, wondering too. Fili sighed and looked at Legolas, “Care to share, ‘ _highness’_?”

 “You will address the prince of the elves with more respect!” one of the guards spat.

 “ _Prince_?” Kili demanded. “When was _that_ going to come up?”

 “…Never?” Legolas offered. “Look, they’re just passing through-”

 “They’re heavily armed and on our lands,” one of the guards said. “Your father will judge their fate.”

 Fili paled. If Legolas was the prince of Mirkwood than his father was…

 Oh hell no.

 “I’m sure my word is worth something-” Legolas began.

 “Not with you being caught lying about a stay in Rivendell it’s not,” Tauriel admitted quietly.

 “ I thought you’d be on my side,” Legolas hissed.

 “Well I’m not sure what side that is at the moment,” Tauriel replied.

 And so the company found itself in the hands of the elves of Mirkwood.


	4. The Palace of the Elvenking

 The two groups were merged together, with the dwarves, Bilbo, and Estel in the middle. Quite a few of the guards were giving Legolas looks as though he was going to try and run off at any moment, but the elven prince had yet to do anything other than calmly apologize to the company for not admitting his relation to the Elvenking and then stare stonily ahead.

 That little revelation had earned him quite a few glares, but frankly Bilbo was more concerned about everyone’s injuries than the dwarves’ grievances with wood elves for the moment. They were marched—or in the cases of the paralyzed, dragged, and wasn’t that rude?—down a different path into slightly greener woods to a great palace carved in a cliff-like hillside.

 Bilbo and Kili both winced at the loud bang the massive doors made as they closed. Thorin looked like he would commit murder if given the chance.

 The first trouble came when the elves tried to put the dwarves into cells. Legolas, Tauriel, and Estel objected heavily, and were overruled despite Legolas and Tauriel’s ranks. The disarming took a good while, especially given Fili’s sheer amount of hidden weapons.

 Estel then tried to protest an “innocent travelling Hobbit and an innocent ranger” from being locked up when the elves turned to him and Bilbo, acting as though Bilbo was not in the dwarves’ company _per say_ which Legolas quickly backed up, and by the end of it there were twelve mostly-disarmed dwarrow in cells, Estel was told to get the hell out of Mirkwood and escorted to the door while he loudly swore various rude oaths, and Legolas was sulking at the treatment his friend had received and his own inability to prevent the current situation.

 At long last the guards were walking to the throne room with a worried Bilbo, the still-upset Legolas, a mildly confused Tauriel, and a disgruntled and disarmed Thorin. The trip was silent with the few guard trying to question Legolas and faltering at the prince’s annoyed gaze.

 Legolas could not look more mortified than he did as they approached his father. Bilbo felt rather sorry for him.

 The Elvenking looked as though he was trying to be calm and dramatic, all sprawled on his throne, but the second he caught sight of his son he stood and shouted, “Legolas?”

 The shout echoed throughout the chamber in a rather effective way and Legolas seemed to shrink in on himself at the returning utterances of his name from the walls.

 “Well, you’re in trouble,” Tauriel muttered.

 “Really now?” Legolas huffed, his anxiety clear. “…Hello, Father.”

 Thranduil walked towards his son slowly, staring between him, Tauriel, Thorin, and Bilbo in quite open shock.

 “I would know what is going on here,” the king said sternly.

 “Estel and I were escorting a party through the woods, as it is unsafe for travelers to attempt to navigate them without aid,” Legolas said. “We were attacked by spiders and ended up here.”

 Thranduil frowned, “ _Do not lie to me, Legolas_.”

 Bilbo flinched at the tone, only to glance at Thorin, who clearly wasn’t too sure what was being said in Sindarin. He counted himself lucky that he was at least able to translate the fairly short sentences flying between father and son.

 “ _I am not lying. That is what we were doing.”_

_“Do you know why they were crossing our lands?”_

_“The Hobbit is going to Laketown. I am unsure about the dwarves.”_

_“And you granted them passage anyway?”_

_“It was the right thing to do. Mithrandir asked me.”_

 Thranduil’s expression darkened, “You, Halfling. Did  Mithrandir ask for your safety?”

 “Ask…oh, does Mithrandir mean Gandalf? Yes, he did ask for my safe transport,” Bilbo said, going by the  earlier suggestion to act as though this was a simple trip for him. “He’s an old friend of my family’s.”

 Thranduil turned back to his son, “ _Did Mithrandir ask for the dwarves as well?”_

 “Yes,” Legolas said, answering in the common tongue. “Yes, Mithrandir asked me to aid the dwarrow as well.”

 “Why have you taken us prisoner?” Thorin demanded.

 “You are guests,” Thranduil replied.

 Going by the skeptical looks Legolas and Tauriel gave the king, Bilbo assumed that definition of ‘guests’ did not really go over well with elves either.

 “Well then we must take leave of your hospitality,” Thorin said tightly.

 “I know where you go, do not think I cannot fathom it,” Thranduil said. “You seek the Lonely Mountain.”

 Tauriel shot Legolas a look. The blonde kept his expression neutral.

 “And if we do?” Thorin asked.

 “You know what is in that mountain.”

 “I recall.”

 Bilbo shifted uncomfortably. He knew most of Thorin’s issues with elves stemmed from the one looming over the dwarf at this very moment, and really didn’t want to see this all crash and burn.

 “There are some who might say this is a half-mad treasure hunt, driven by the greed often ascribed to your race,” Thranduil said. “Nonetheless, I offer you my help. You may leave these halls with that help in exchange for a chest of the star-diamonds of Erebor.”

 Thorin looked like he would snap, but a disbelieving Legolas beat him to it. “Father, did you just call this dwarf greedy and then _demand payment_?”

 Thorin quickly shot the younger elf a mildly approving look. Thranduil looked scandalized at the silent appreciation.

 “Thorin Oakenshield is of the line of Durin, my son,” Thranduil said, his voice tight and almost stilted. “They _all_ fall to their greed.”

 And that, Bilbo thought, was that as Thorin outright exploded at the Elvenking with many epithets and threats.

 “Lock him up. I can wait,” Thranduil said. “Now, Halfling, as for you…”

 “I will take him to Laketown,” Legolas said calmly.

 “You will not be leaving your chambers for a decade if you are not silent!” Thranduil snapped.

 “Um, excuse me?” Bilbo said, trying not to flinch as the king glared at him. “I’m sure this is a very tense time for you, your highness. I’d be just fine waiting for things to get worked out around here. I’m in no great rush. Hobbits do not rush their adventures, after all. When I get to Laketown doesn’t matter to me, I’ll still have gone further than any other Hobbit of the Shire.”

 The Elvenking eyed him. “Legolas will escort you in a week, with Tauriel, if he can sufficiently _behave_ _himself_. Leave me.”

.o.o.o.

 “So, what are you plotting?” Tauriel said.

 “We now have under a week to get the dwarves out of here and hopefully out of the forest,” Legolas sighed. “Which will be a good deal harder with Estel gone…”

 “Last I checked, my chief duty after I joined the guard was to protect _you_ ,” Tauriel said. “Including from hurting yourself in a harebrained scheme. So now you have a new third member for your plotting.”

 “Good, then you take any messages to the dwarves, Father will be too suspicious of myself or Bilbo,” Legolas said.

 “So we need an escape route, we need to get as much weaponry back to the company as possible, and we need it done soon,” Bilbo mused.

 “The weapons will all be relatively near the cells,” Tauriel said. “There’s a storeroom for such things. It’s not far off. I shall see if it is there when I give out the prisoners’ food.”

 “Thank you,” Legolas said. “I shall see if I can find out just why my father is so afraid.”

 “Afraid? I thought he was rather angry,” Bilbo said.

 “It was anger born of fear. But I don’t know why,” Legolas said.

 “I shall search around, give some pretext of exploring or comparing this place to Rivendell,” Bilbo decided. “I shall seek our way out.”

 “We’d best get started, then,” Tauriel said. “Seven days is not long.”

.o.o.o.

 Tauriel managed to get assigned to watch the dungeons the first night. At Bilbo and Legolas’ suggestion, she started with the brothers Kili and Fili, “Are you all all right?”

 “What?” the blonde Fili asked dryly.

 “Bilbo Baggins wishes to know if you are all doing well,” she repeated.

 “Bilbo!” a dwarf down the line called. “Where is he?”

 “Keep quiet!” Tauriel hissed, her voice cutting through the damp dungeon air. “Baggins and Legolas are pretending the hobbit is not a member of your company, and it is only through that that he remains free!”

 Kili grabbed her arm through the bars, “Where is Bilbo now?”

 “With Legolas. He’s pretending to get a tour while they look for a way to get you out,” she said.

 “How do we know you’re not lying?” Fili asked.

 “…You do not,” Tauriel admitted. “But Legolas-”

 “How do we know he is not deceiving us again?” a bald dwarf with tattoos asked.

 Tauriel swallowed, “Again. You do not. But I still give you my word that I will take your messages to Bilbo Baggins and only Bilbo Baggins.”

 Fili and Kili regarded her coolly. Fili at last said, “Tell him we’re fine, but we do not know where Uncle is.”

 “Who?” Tauriel asked.

 “Thorin. Our uncle,” Fili said. “We do not know where he is.”

.o.o.o.

 “Not many ways in and out. I must commend your father for his sense of security,” Bilbo told Legolas.

 “He’s always been very interested in safety,” Legolas agreed. “Tauriel! I thought you were-”

 “We do not know where the dwarven king is. Fili says they are all as well as can be expected,” Tauriel relayed. “I have checked and their weapons and armor are all in the predicted storeroom.”

 “What do we do about Thorin?” Bilbo wondered.

 “There are some cells further down, solitary cells,” Legolas mused. “But we cannot try to go there without being noticed…”

 “I might have a way. If someone asks where I am tomorrow, cover for me,” Bilbo said.

 “You will never get down there unseen,” Tauriel cautioned.

 “My dear lady,” Bilbo said, smiling in what he hoped was a confident manner. “I have been hired to burgle from a dragon. Sneaking by elves will be nothing, I assure you.”

 “Let him,” Legolas said finally. “I must meet with my father tomorrow. Tauriel, keep looking for a way out.”

.o.o.o.

 Bilbo crept into the dungeons using the power of the ring. He wanted to stop and check on the other dwarves, truly he did, but he knew it would only cause a ruckus.

 So he crept down, down, down past the waterfalls and the light into dark stairwells and dimly-lit passages. And it was there, deep into the rock, that he found a cell containing a deeply-upset king.

 “Thorin!”

 Thorin’s head snapped up at the noise. He glanced around uneasily, perhaps wondering if he was hearing things as Bilbo had seen things in the woods, when Bilbo added, “It’s me! You just cannot see me!” He stepped into an alcove and slipped off the ring.

 “Bilbo?” Thorin asked uncertainly.

 “Yes!” Bilbo said, stepping out again.

 “So you are still free,” Thorin sighed in relief. “Do you know how we can get out of here?”

 “I’m working on it, but Legolas and-”

 “Do not speak to me of him,” Thorin said darkly.

 “Now see here!” Bilbo said. “Legolas has done nothing but try to help us! I know you dislike his father, I rather do too, frankly, but that is no reason to take it out on Legolas! How would you like it if you were blamed for your forefathers mistakes?”

 “As Thranduil demonstrated, I often am,” Thorin said icily.

 “Yes, that was rather rude of him,” Bilbo admitted.

 “How long have I been in this cell?” Thorin asked.

 “Two days,” Bilbo said. “We’re trying to find a way out, Thorin, but other than those front gates…oh why can this place not have a backdoor like Bag End?”

 “Even Erebor’s backdoor was too secret to find without a map and moon runes,” Thorin noted.

 “Oh, that is right,” Bilbo mused. “Perhaps there might still be one then…oh, I’m just not sure of what to do!”

 Thorin reached through the bars and grasped Bilbo’s shoulder, “I know you will manage, burglar. You always do.”

 “Thank you for having such faith in me,” Bilbo sighed. “But I haven’t the faintest clue of what to do, Thorin.”

.o.o.o.

 “This is a guard post and winery,” Legolas said the next day, continuing their pseudo-tour as per their cover.

 “Such an interesting combination,” Bilbo said, trying to look intrigued. “Whatever is that lever on the floor for?”

 “It drops the barrels into the river,” Legolas said. “So they go to Laketown.”

 “You don’t say!” Bilbo said. “Rather ingenious idea, I like it. We hobbits don’t use the rivers much in the Shire outside of pleasure boating. I supposed they are most important for trade, though.”

 “Yes,” Legolas agreed, noting the dawning idea on Bilbo’s face. “They are indeed.”

.o.o.o.

 “We’re going to use the river,” Bilbo told Tauriel and Legolas. “We can even hide the dwarves in the barrels.”

 “The winery is a guard post, though,” Tauriel said. “It’s almost never emptied. And we would need the keys!”

 “The feast!” Legolas said. “There was to be a feast before we leave to escort Bilbo to Laketown!”

 “So?” Bilbo asked.

 “Of course!” Tauriel said. “I will offer to guard the cells—I am not much one for rowdy feasts, you see—and you and Legolas make sure everyone else gets drunk!”

 “And then slip away while they are to incapacitated to do anything!” Bilbo said. “But we must make certain they do not follow us!”

 “Make it look like you are going back to the path, or even around the wood entirely,” Legolas said. “I can probably come up with something…”

 “The question is…how do we get the dwarves to the barrels?” Tauriel wondered.

 “Leave that to me,” Bilbo said. “They know by now to listen to their burglar.”


	5. The Way Out

 It was hard to keep quiet about the plan until the feast. Bilbo had told Thorin, Balin, and Dwalin, but none of the others as he frankly wasn’t sure about their secret-keeping abilities.

 The exact logistics of the plan had not been as simple as they has once hoped. Legolas had noted a gate along the river that might prevent them from getting through unseen, and since the plan thus far had involved misdirection as to their exact method of escape—they were to make it look like they were going through or around the forest, not using the river, so that they were not instantly followed—the guards of that little gate posed a problem.

 “We’ll just have to knock them out,” Tauriel said. “Their shift chance won’t be for a few more days. We’ll be well on our way by then.”

 “I do not like leaving loyal guards unconscious and exposed,” Legolas said.

 “We could hide them after knocking them out?” Bilbo suggested.

 “I suppose we might have time for that,” Legolas mused.

 “I’ve managed to get a couple of the dwarrow’s coats back to them,” Tauriel said. “Kili faked catching cold. He’s rather clever, it seems. So now the ones closest to the falls have a bit more of their things back.”

 “If you gave Fili his coat he’s likely armed to the teeth by now,” Bilbo chuckled. “Lad’s like a hedgehog, sharp things everywhere.”

 “Ada seems to think I have taken Orcrist for myself, so that’s in good hands,” Legolas said. “The real question is how we shall release the dwarven king…”

 “I’ll get Thorin,” Bilbo said. “It’d be easier than if either of you tried to do it.”

 “He has a point,” Tauriel said. “The dwarves in the cells seem to think I shall stab them in the back at any moment. Well, maybe not Kili-”

 “You seem interested in this Kili,” Legolas said.

 “He is…interesting. For a dwarf,” Tauriel said. “They are not a people who are often archers, for one.”

 Legolas chuckled at her defensive tone, “Peace, Tauriel, peace! I meant nothing by it! Kili and his brother are most interesting dwarves, on that I agree.”

 “Legolas, I’ve been meaning to ask this,” Bilbo said. “But…why are things so strained with your father?”

 “He…I…I am his youngest. That likely invites a measure of overprotectiveness,” Legolas said.

 “That is how it works in most cultures,” Bilbo agreed. “Wait, you have brothers? Or sisters?”

 “Two brothers,” Legolas said. “One’s in the army so you have never seen him—he stays in the barracks most of the time. And the eldest, the heir, well…you’ll see him at the feast. He tends to use avoidance tactics when father gets like this…”

 “You mean when you and the king both get like this,” Tauriel said flatly. “Aenor is quite sick of your bickering.”

 “You’ve seen him?” Legolas asked. “I’d assumed he’d become as adept at sneaking as Mr. Baggins seems to be.”

 “According to his guards as soon as he heard you had been dragged in with a company of dwarves your brother decided to commit every treaty made in the last four centuries to memory and is _quite_ too engrossed in his task to socialize,” Tauriel said. “I doubt he’ll even stay at the feast long if he can help it.”

 “What are your brothers like?” Bilbo asked Legolas.

 “Aenor recently entered his third millennium and is rather bookish. He may be the heir but there’s bets on him setting off for the west before he has to take the throne,” Legolas said, shrugging. “Lagoron is only about a century younger. He’s more…kingly, mostly in the military sense. Less for books than Aenor or I but far from stupid. They both look more like our mother did.”

 “Whereas Legolas is the spitting image of the king,” Tauriel said. “Making me wonder how none of your dwarves noticed anything. Thorin Oakenshield at least should have seen our king at some point in Erebor.”

 “In Erebor yes, but not in a dark forest,” Bilbo said. “And likely not in traveling gear.”

 “The woods seem to affect more than just we elves in their darkness,” Legolas added. “Mr. Baggins here claimed to see things that he knew were not there, and I suspect he was far from the only one. Estel kept looking around as if hearing something not there as well. Everyone’s senses were compromised.”

 “Well, then we should be glad that the river is not in such a dark part of the woods,” Tauriel said. “You said Mithrandir asked Legolas and Estel to accompany your party because he could not. Why?”

 Bilbo shrugged, “I don’t know. He didn’t seem happy about leaving but said he had to do it.”

 “There’s more going on than just this quest, then,” Legolas surmised. “But for some reason he considers your company’s success as good. I trust Mithandir to know how to judge these things better than I or even my father.”

 “Back to the party,” Tauriel decided. “I will ‘guard’ the dwarves and try to retrieve their coats and weapons. Their burglar will have to slip away to get Thorin, but due to his small size could easily fake being quite drunk quite early-”

 “I’ll have you know hobbits hold their liquor quite well, but I see how we can use the misconception to our advantage,” Bilbo said.

 “And I shall entice my father, brother, and as many guardsmen as I can into severe inebriation,” Legolas finished.

 “Very well then, in a few nights, we escape.”

.o.o.o.

 “I am surprised you have done as I asked, for once.”

 “Father, do I really disobey you so often that listening is a cause for shock?” Legolas asked, helping Bilbo into a seat beside him before sitting next to his father. “I know I will not get to keep my promises to Mithrandir and Mr. Baggins without you allowing me to.”

 “So you finally learned to use honey,” the elf on the other side of the king chuckled.

 “Yes, Aenor, I have,” Legolas said blithely.

 Bilbo leaned forward—even with the extra lift on his seat he could barely see over the table. Aenor was shorter than his younger brother, with hair more golden and his eyes a deeper blue than their father’s. If that was what taking after their mother looked like then yes, Bilbo could see how Legolas could be known as the one with Thranduil’s looks.

.o.o.o.

 The first things Tauriel got to the dwarves were their coats, as those had been locked away closer than the main weapons.

 “Tonight, then?” Fili asked.

 “If all goes well,” she replied. “Kili, what sort of arrows do you need? None of yours were recovered from the forest, so-”

 “About the length of my forearm,” the young dwarf answered quickly. “You have any other those?”

 “I can look,” Tauriel said. She was sure there were some smaller arrows in the room—mostly for children, but she’d never say so. She also would need the rest of the coats first. “I’ll be back.”

.o.o.o.

 Legolas was quite good at getting his father and brother to drink. He had the excuse of needing to escort Bilbo the next day and therefore being unwilling to risk any aftermath from tonight while still calmly refilling his father’s cup.

 Right as the elves started to show more obvious signs of inebriation Bilbo slid off his chair.

 “Going somewhere?” Aenor asked. He didn’t seem as drunk as the rest, yet.

 “Hobbits have nowhere near the tolerance of elves, it seems,” Bilbo said graciously. “I shall see you in the morning, I am sure.”

 “Legolas, escort your guest back to his lodgings, then,” Thranduil said before returning to deep conversation with an advisor about the bread at the table. It was almost endearing in how absurdly serious about it they were.

 “Oh, no, I quite recall my way,” Bilbo said. “I would hate to interrupt such an important event, truly! I will be fine.”

 “Such courtesy,” the Elvenking mused as the hobbit walked away. “If you’d shown up will a company of those I would not have considered grounding you for a century, Legolas.”

 “I am glad I convinced you otherwise, Ada,” Legolas said tightly.

.o.o.o.

 As soon as he was out of sight, Bilbo slipped on his ring and rushed towards the cells, only taking the powerful accessory off before Tauriel saw him when she exited a room. “Weapons?”

 “Last of the coats,” she replied. “That was fast.”

 “Everyone else is already quite drunk, with the exception of perhaps Aenor and of course Legolas,” Bilbo said. “I will go get Thorin.”

 “Here, give these out,” she said, handing over the coats he recognized as Dori and Nori’s along with Throin’s. “I shall get started on their weapons.”

 “Good thing I already have mine then,” he said, patting the retrieved Sting.

 “Good luck,” she said.

 “You as well!” Bilbo called before setting off.

.o.o.o.

 “I should retire, Ada,” Legolas said. “I should not want to be overtired tomorrow.”

 “I’m glad you two made up,” Aenor chuckled into an empty cup. “Really, you should get along more…”

 “Enough of that,” Thranduil told his heir. “Now…Legolas. I know you do not approve of my making your break your promise about the dwarves, but it is for the good of this kingdom. If that dragon…if it ever…you know how I feel about dragons, my son.”

 “I know, father,” Legolas said. “I have heard of your missions in the north from your youth.”

 “Then you understand why they must be swayed to turn back,” Thranduil said, smiling. “Perhaps when you return you can convince them, them? They…that is you are…you are better…they _trust_ you.”

 Legolas swallowed, “I would hate to betray their trust, if I have it.”

 “Sometimes you must betray such a trust for what is best, my son,” Thranduil said, patting Legolas’ head. “You will understand when you are older.”

 “I…think I understand now, Ada,” Legolas said. “Good night.”

.o.o.o.

 Bilbo slipped the ring on as he ventured back into the darker cells, Thorin’s coat tucked into one arm. He was soon glad he had—there was a guard here, but not one Thorin could see, as his cell was around a corner.

 Lucky then. Thorin wouldn’t know about the ring…

 Bilbo shook his head. Why, why was he so concerned about that? Thorin could know about the ring, the whole company could know and likely should know since it might be a factor in dealing with Smaug so really he should have told them by now…

 But he didn’t want to.

 The inner debate about the ring was abandoned as he struck the guard from behind with the flat of sting’s blade, knocking the poor elf out. Really, the chap was only doing his job, but still…

 “Who’s there?”

 Bilbo made sure the guard was unconscious before calling back, “It’s me!”

 “Biblo?” Thorin asked. Bilbo slipped off the ring and rounded the corner. “But how, the guard-”

 “But drunk. I got him from behind,” Bilbo lied, before feeling quite bad about doing so. Why was hiding the ring so important? “Here, Tauriel showed me something with these hinges.” He wedged String in the door and soon had it open. “Design oversight, I suppose.”

 “Excellent work, burglar,” Thorin said.

 “The others either are free or will be soon, we must hurry,” Bilbo said, handing the coat over.

 “Lead the way,” Thorin said, smiling.

.o.o.o.

 Legolas made sure to check that the winery was empty while he took the keys from their hook. Bilbo would likely be blamed, wandering off on his own as he had, but that bothered him less than the note he’d left in Aenor’s room.

 He’d apologized to his brother for leaving, since it would likely upset their father...but had also lied and said they’d go out the way they came through the forest, so they would not be followed. It was an exceptionally rude thing to do to his mild-mannered brother but frankly Legolas knew they could not risk his father coming after them at once and if such measures were needed…well, Thranduil himself had just endorsed the abuse of trust, had he not?

 He went to the room where the weapons were stored. Tauriel was trying to grab as many as she could and Legolas began to do the same.

 “How long do you think we’ll have?” she asked.

 “Given the bit of misdirection I left for Aenor to find…not much,” he admitted, grabbing a spear, mace, and staff. 

 “Then start unlocking, I’m almost done here,” she said, passing over two axes.

 “Good luck,” Legolas said, ducking out.

 “Legolas!” Fili and Kili called, seeing him with the keys and weapons.

 “I promised I’d get you out of here, did I not?” he asked, unlocking their cell doors.

 “Well, you sort of delegated the promise to Tauriel, so we were a bit less sure,” Kili said as Legolas hurried one, letting out Balin and Dwalin.

 “Ah, my mace,” Balin said, and Legolas handed it over and passed both axes to Dwalin.

 “One of these is Gloin’s,” Dwalin noted. “But then he had some hatchets in his coat, so I doubt he’ll mind much…”

 Legolas had made it to the last cells when Bilbo and Thorin appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

 “Thorin!” Dori greeted.

 “Are we all here?” the king asked calmly.

 “Tauriel is retrieving your weapons, she’ll meat us in the winery,” Legolas relayed, heading back up the steps. He paused, “Oh, this is yours.”

 Thorin accepted Orcrist back gravely, giving the elf a proud nod.

 “Well what’s in the winery?” Ori asked.

 “Our way out,” Bilbo said. “Just trust me, please!”

 “We do, Bilbo, honest,” Kili said loyally as Thorin clapped the hobbit on the shoulder firmly.

  They crept to the winery, pausing to let some drunk elves stumble by, and when they entered the barrel room Tauriel was waiting.

 “Your brother left the feast,” she told Legolas. “He’s heading to his rooms now.”

 “Make this fast,” Legolas told Bilbo.

 “Right!” the hobbit said. “Everyone, in one of those empty barrels!”

 “What?” several dwarves demanded.

 “You heard him!” Tauriel said flatly. “Oh, whose bolas are these?”

 “Mine, thank you,” Dori said, quickly taking them while the others squabbled.

 “Enough!” Thorin thundered. “The hobbit has found us a way out and we shall take it…whatever it is.”

 “Thank you,” Bilbo said firmly. He and Tauriel helped the others in when there was noise from the hallway. Legolas shut the door.

 “We’re going now!” Bilbo said and Legolas yanked the lever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, before anyone says anything about Legolas having brothers: I have never, ever seen Legolas as an only child. For one, who sends their only heirs on a quest likely to lead to death (other than Thorin but that's canonically a plot point)? Sure, Boromir went, but Faramir was still in the wings in case anything happened (which did lead to convient replacement, I will admit). I simply cannot see any king sending their sole heir is all I'm saying. And since to my knowledge Legolas never claimed to be the heir, just the son of the king, I assumed he had a sibling and the sibling was older than him.  
> So, the brothers:  
> Aenor: The oldest. His name means Holy. Takes almost entirely after the boys' deceased mother and is a lot quieter and more introspective than his father and siblings. As noted in this chapter, he cannot stand it when Legolas and Thranduil start butting heads.  
> Lagoron: Middle Name means Swift. A general in the army with a spear as his preferred weapon. Less like his parents than his brothers are, and we'll see him later. Takes pride in being the tallest of the brothers.  
> 


	6. River Wars

 Thorin felt his world spin as the floor under the barrels gave way by turning into a trapdoor and they all tumbled down into the water. He managed to right himself and tried to see if everyone was there as Legolas dove though the crack of light above before the hatch closed again. “Kili! Fili! Bilbo!”

 He cursed the darkness, his eyes were still adjusting and he couldn’t quite make anyone out.

 “Here, uncle!” Fili called as he and Kili held Tauriel up, or Thorin assumed it was Tauriel given the long mane of red looked too light to be Gloin’s beard; the blurriness was only just subsiding from his eyes. The she elf must have been weighted down by the massive amount of recovered weapons she had still held before plunging into the water.

 “And here’s Bilbo,” Balin added, pulling the sputtering hobbit’s head above water as Thorin’s vision cleared at last.

 “What a way out!” Nori laughed.

 “That…was...horrible!” Dwalin sputtered.

 “It was amazing!” Kili corrected. “Bilbo, you’re a genius!”

 “There’s a…a watch gate…up ahead,” Legolas coughed as he grabbed the edges of Fili and Bofur’s barrels. “We’ll have to knock out the sentries. There will only be two, thankfully.”

“Can’t we just hide in the barrels?” Dwalin asked. “Seem like they’d be sturdy enough for protection…”

 “If they see us they’ll close the gate,” Tauriel sputtered. Kili patted her on the back as she choked out more water.

 “Breathe,” Fili advised as the she elf finally seemed to dislodge the last bits of liquid from her lungs.

 “I’ve never been in water while carrying so much,” she said ruefully as they exited the caverns and came into the dawn’s first rays of light. Almost everyone squinted as their eyes were yet again forced to adjust.

 “Well, I think you did _fantastic_ …that is I…um…say is that my bow?” Kili asked quickly.

 “Yes, when I can get a better grip I shall return it to you,” Tauriel said.

 “Oh I do not like this,” Bilbo muttered. Bifur reached over and patted him on the head.

 “Can you not swim, Mr. Baggins?” Dori asked.

 “Nope,” the hobbit admitted.

 “Then I shall do my best to hang onto you, lad,” Balin said kindly, patting Bilbo’s hands as they clung to the rim of his barrel.

 “Can’t swim and plans a river ride,” Dwalin scolded half-heartedly.

 “Oh, lay off him—what was that?” Nori said.

 “What was what?” Ori asked his brother.

 “I thought I saw something moving…are there animals in this part of the forest?” Nori asked Legolas.

 The prince nodded, “This is one of the few spider-free areas left. Other than near the dwelling of Radagast the Brown this is most animals’ only haven.”

 “Then we shall focus on how to overcome the gate, instead of worrying about the local fauna,” Thorin said.

 “Well, for the gate some of us will simply have to get out and take on the guards,” Legolas told Thorin. “This is your company, Thorin Oakenshield. What shall we do?”

 “We shall reach the gate first,” Thorin said. “Then we shall have you, Dwalin, and Dori handle the sentries while your friend returns the others’ weapons to them.”

 “Sounds good,” Dwalin said. “Because that seems to be the gate.”

 “They won’t shoot with you here, will they?” Ori asked Legolas.

 “If they’re bad enough shots to be afraid of hitting me at this distance, they wouldn’t be on guard duty,” the elf warned, drawing one of his knives. “Dwalin, Dori, we will have to be very quick about this.”

 Whatever they would have been quick about soon became unnecessary as one of the elves at the gate toppled into the water by an unseen archer.

 “What?” Legolas asked blankly. Tauriel’s mouth opened and closed slowly as she peered around, looking for who could have been the shooter.

 “Wasn’t me, still don’t have my bow,” Kili said, just as shocked, as the other guard elf shut the gate and looked around.

 He was plowed into the tone steps of the bridge by a large orc.

 “No!” Tauriel yelled, looking for a throwing weapon in what she currently carried. She let go of Fili’s barrel, sending the blonde smacking into Legolas who had reached behind himself for Bifur’s spear before likely realizing he couldn’t throw it properly one-handed and stay afloat. The second guard stopped moving.

 “Damn it,” Thorin hissed. The elven guards were bad enough, but orcs? _Orcs_? He pulled Orcrist up and out of the barrel, holding it tightly in case any jumped down at them.

 “So much for just knocking out the guards,” Dwalin huffed. Balin shot him a mildly disapproving look for his callousness.

 “Now what?” Gloin grumbled.

 “Sorry about this,” Legolas told Fili before swinging himself out of the river and standing on the blonde’s shoulders. With both hands free he drew his bow and began to shoot the arriving orcs.

 “Bow!” Tauriel said, disentangling her archery gear from Kili’s and passing his over to him, trying to pull herself out of the water at the same time. She reached for her belt. “Whose slingshot?”

 “Here!” Ori called and she passed it to his brothers who handed it over.

 “We need to get to the lever!” Legolas said, hopping over to Dwalin’s head and then Gloin’s.

 “I’ll cover you, go!” Kili said, finally managing to take aim.

 Legolas raced for the lever, only to get blindsided by a second orc when Kili shot the first.

 “Legolas!” Bilbo yelled as the elf quickly dodged shots from an orc archer while frantically stabbing his new opponent.

 “Oh no you don’t!” Kili declared, shooting the enemy in the head.

 “Legolas, go!” Tauriel yelled.

 Legolas grabbed the leaver and pulled it before spinning on his heel to slam one of his knives into a new orc’s skull. He then jumped on the corpse as it slid down the stairs before flipping down into the river on the other side of the gate, only just catching his feet on the rim of Bifur’s barrel. “Here’s your spear, by the way.”

 Bifur nodded approvingly and took his weapon.

 “Very nice!” Fili called teasingly. “Excellent style there!”

 “Focus!” his uncle ordered as Tauriel passed Gloin Dwalin’s second axe as Dwalin still held Gloin’s instead of his own.

 “We really should have passed out weapons inside,” Bilbo noted.

 “Well we were in a bit of a rush,” Bofur pointed out. “Why aren’t you in a barrel?”

 “Why aren’t I for that matter?” Tauriel mused. “Rapids!”

 Thorin groaned, “Oh you have got to be kidding…”

 Several of them were ducked by the current, Kili and Gloin grabbing onto Tauriel and Balin and Dwalin to Bilbo so the pair without vessels weren’t dragged under and dashed on the rocks of the river bottom.

 “This is actually getting kind of fun!” Kili laughed as he went down a rather steep drop.

 “Kee, you say that one more time, I swear!” Fili snarled angrily, throwing a knife at an orc pursuing them on the shore.

 As last Tauriel managed to pull herself up, only to catch an arm in the low-hanging branches Legolas had just ducked. She quickly swung herself up into them before the current could yank her forward and hurt her arm, and began running above the group until she hit the shore when the branches ended.

 “Got a plan?” Legolas asked Thorin.

 “I’ll assume you mean other than killing the orcs?” the dwarf king said, defecting an arrow with Orcrist.

 “We just need to get far enough ahead,” Dwalin said. “These rapids last long?”

 Legolas jumped over to Oin’s barrel while Bombur’s went flying. “I’m not too sure how long they are. My apologies.”

 Bombur’s hands and feet burst from the barrel as he landed and he soon became a whirling tornado of death for orcs that got too close.

 “That is very impressive,” Fili noted, chucking a knife. Bombur tossed two more orcs into the river and Bofur smacked one in the head with his reclaimed pick when it surfaced for a moment.

 “Indeed,” Bilbo said. “Can I please get in a barrel?”

 Balin tried to pull the hobbit into the empty one floating by his while Dawlin protected them both.

 “I think I’m getting a mite seasick,” Gloin groaned.

 “Get sick after the fight!” Fili scolded as Bombur hopped back in the river into an empty barrel.

 “Tauriel, get back in the water!” Bilbo called, finally in his own barrel.

 “There’s no way over to us!” Kili said, eyes widening.

 “Run the shore!” Legolas called to her. “Does anyone have any rope?”

 “Just bolas, I’m afraid,” Dori said.

 “Great. No rope,” Legolas grumbled, jumping to Bofur’s barrel for another shot.

 “Don’t beat yourself up, lad,” Bofur advised. “Left!”

 Legolas didn’t have time to fire but Ori shot a small stone into the orc’s face, throwing the beast off-balance and against the sharp rocks lining the river.

 “It’ll speed up at the bend,” Legolas said. “We’ll probably lose them there.”

 “And lose Tauriel,” Bilbo said worriedly as the red-haired elf fought on the shore. “Tauriel come on!”

 “Hurry up!” Kili added. “You have all the spare arrows!”

 “Really, Kili?” Thorin asked.

 “I’ve used over two dozen here!” Kili replied.

 “There!” Balin called. “That log! Miss Tauriel, _the log_!”

 Tauriel saw it and quickly stabbed her opponents before running for the large broken trunk sticking out high over the water.

 “Just run, we’ll handle the orcs!” Kili said, shooting some that got close.

 “Oh, now you have enough arrows!” Nori laughed.

 “Shut up!” Kili yelled.

 “Really?” Thorin demanded, silencing both with a look.

 “They seem to be losing numbers quite rapidly,” Legolas said. “But where is their leader—Tauriel!”

 The warning came just in time as the giant orc swept in on her. Tauriel dodged, still going for the log.

 “He’s too fast!” Kili groaned, trying to get a shot and only nicking the orc’s flesh.

 “And quite sturdy,” Legolas added angrily as his own arrow to the arm didn’t faze the beast a bit.

 “And you two are over-thinkin’ it!” Gloin declared, pulling out a small hatchet and chucking it dead at the large orc, catching the beast in the leg and making it howl.

 Tauriel took her chance and ran up the log to dive back into the group, Fili and Bifur catching her arms as she hit the water.

 “We all killed about twenty of a party that seemed to be thirty,” she said when she stopped gasping for air. “So if they turn back it will likely be for reinforcements.”

 “Likely,” Thorin agreed. “Still, the rapids have ceased and the current is swift. We should be all right, if only for the moment.”

 “You going to get back in the river?” Bofur asked Legolas.

 “I think I’m actually starting to dry-” Legolas began before Bofur grinned and knocked a leg out, sending the prince tumbling into the water. “That was not funny.”

 “Of course it was!” Kili shouted above the laughter which even Tauriel joined in on.

.o.o.o.

 They finally climbed up onto the rocks at the river’s mouth.

 “Long Lake,” Legolas said, looking amazed. “It’s been ages since I’ve been on this lake.”

 “And Erebor,” Thorin said. “Likely longer since I have been there.”

 “Well, then let’s not keep your mountain waiting,” Bilbo chuckled, patting his pocket. The ring had survived the trip, then.

 “Well, a rather…unorthodox recue, but a good one nonetheless,” Thorin said, giving Bilbo a quick one-armed hug.

 Bilbo smiled as the ring slipped from his thoughts again as easily as it could slip through one’s fingers, ponderings about it lost to gladness at Thorin’s grin and the company’s safety and the warmth of the king’s arm around him.

 “It’s huge,” Ori said, frowning at the lake.

 “We’ll have to find a way across,” Thorin said. “We have only just over a month until Durin’s day.”

 “I think for now rest is the most important,” Balin said. “Rest and proper food. We can look to crossing the lake in a few days.”

 Thorin looked over the tired and waterlogged company and nodded, “Kili, Fili, go see if you can hunt down some dinner. Gloin, get a fire going. Dwalin, Bifur, wood. Bombur, Bofur, see if you can find something to cook on or with.”

 “Right kind of rocks can do pretty well,” Bofur said, taking his brother along to inspect the shore.  

 Thorin nodded, “We’ll dry out our clothes by the fire.  Bilbo, rest, you look half-dead.”

 “Just half-drowned, I assure you,” the hobbit said, sitting by the area Gloin was clearing.

 “While it might take time for the orcs to catch up, there is still a chance they will,” Legolas pointed out, gazing upstream.

 “Then we will have watch for that,” Thorin said. “Kili and Fili know how to scout when they hunt. You elves both look little better than the burglar. Rest for now.”

 “I think he has a good point,” Tauriel said, sitting down beside Bilbo.

 “I am not tired,” Legolas said.

 “Then make a quick survey of the area and come back,” Thorin said, waving a hand. “But if you pass out from exhaustion we may not be able to find you.”

 “Legolas, just rest,” Tauriel implored.

 “I can’t,” the blonde sighed.

 “Then aid my nephews—scout while they hunt,” Thorin said.

 Legolas nodded, heading off after the brothers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The orcs in this version did not break into the kingdom, as the Company was only there for a week instead of over a month. But when one of Bolg's scouts saw them in the river, things managed to go almost the same way anyhow. Albeit better for the dwarves, who had more weapons.


	7. The Kin of Kings

 “Do elves hunt? I mean, you don’t seem to eat meat,” Kili said as Legolas joined him and his brother in a low, thick-leaved tree.

 “The only things we hunt are orcs and those spiders,” Legolas replied. “ _I_ am scouting.”

 “Well go tell Uncle that we can scout just fine without aid,” Fili said.

 “Mr. Baggins told a tale involving some trolls that says otherwise.”

 “Ack! Bilbo!” Kili whined. “How could he, Fee?”

 “Ssh, Kili, you’ll scare away any game! And Bilbo was likely trying to be friendly and show he still trusts _him_ after his lie,” Fili said, giving Legolas a dark look.

 “Would you have accepted my and Estel’s help if you knew?” Legolas pointed out.

 Fili’s face scrunched up in an annoyed scowl and Kili gave a guilty shrug.

 The silence lasted for over an hour, the only sound being the twang of Kili’s bow whenever he spied a rabbit and the swish of Fili’s knives as he cleaned each kill. Legolas went a bit higher in the tree, both for a better sightline and to get away from the smell of the raw flesh.

 He didn’t mind others eating meat, no, he just would rather not be around said meat between death and its cooked state if he could help it.

 “What’s it like being an actual prince?”

 “Kili!” Fili hissed.

 “What? We’re still just princes in exile in a lot of ways, Ered Lun is nice and all, but it’s not a kingdom like Erebor or where he’s from,” Kili said, nodding at Legolas.

 “I…do not understand your question?” Legolas offered, glancing back down at them. “I think your brother is right, Kili, you are still princes, no matter your current circumstances.”

 “He’s iffy about the idea of a royal court,” Fili said, rolling his eyes. “Seems to dread the idea more than the ruddy dragon some days.”

 “Fee!”

 “Well if you’re going to ask him stuff like that then I shall tell him things you don’t want me to tell,” the older brother said smartly.

 “It just seems…boring. Restrictive,” Kili huffed.

 “It is,” Legolas admitted. “But I have not had a typical experience. Frankly I doubt there is a typical experience to be had.”

 “Well, for comparison’s sake, what’s it like with your father being a king on a throne compared to our uncle being a king looking for one?” Kili asked. “I mean…I don’t even know where to go from there, but I think you know what I mean.”

 “I think my father and your uncle are both…strict with us,” Legolas said. “Because they want what is best. However your uncle seems to know he cannot protect you from _everything_ while my father seems disposed to forget I am a grown elf instead of a child.”

 “Uncle treats me like a child too, a lot of the time. Fili gets it less,” Kili said.

 “I act like a child less,” Fili pointed out. “Though I…often wonder if I can live up to Uncle’s expectations as heir…despite the fact that I really don’t know what they are. Heir to Erebor is far more than heir to Ered Lun.”

 “I would not know. I am only heir if my brothers both decide to depart from Arda or die,” Legolas said. “Aenor may choose to depart but Lagoron…he likes living here. He likes the chaos of the mortal world.”

 “ _Two_ older brothers?” Kili asked, looking sympathetic. “I don’t know how I’d manage!”

 “They are much older than I,” Legolas said. “By dwarven standards you are quite close in age, are you not?”

 “Only six years apart,” Fili agreed. “Incredibly close for siblings, really.”

 “Aenor is a millennium older than I and Lagoron not much younger than he,” Legolas said. “Even for elves that frankly puts us in different generations.”

 “And Tauriel?” Kili asked.

 “My generation, but only just. She is just into her first millennium,” Legolas said. “And I am not yet at my second.”

 Kili frowned pensively, “What’s it like, living that long?”

 “What’s it like for dwarves, only living for three hundred years?” Legolas shot back. “A lifespan is a lifespan.”

 “But dwarves can at least relate to men and hobbits,” Fili said. “Elves…who do you relate to?”

 “Wizards, I suppose,” Legolas said, shrugging.

 “There’s only five of those, though,” Kili pointed out.

 Legolas nodded, “So there are. But for me it is normal to live so long. I see you as the odd ones.”

 “Yeah, well, you’re outnumbered in that for now,” Kili chuckled.

.o.o.o.

 “Let us hope no one gets sick from that,” Oin said, nudging Ori and Bilbo closer to the fire. “You, lass, your hair dry?”

 Tauriel nodded, finally free from all the extra weapons she’d been toting around for the river trip. “I am fine, master dwarf.”

 “What?” Oin asked, turning his ear trumpet towards her.

 “I’m fine,” Tauriel repeated more loudly as Kili, Fili, and Legolas, all quite wetter than the rest due to not yet being around the fire, came back to camp.

 “Oh, sure, all of you got to get dry,” Kili complained. “I found some wood for arrow shafts, so if anyone else wants any say it now or it’s all mine.”

 “I did not manage many shots on the river, so I’m fine,” Tauriel said.

 “I brought extra arrows,” Legolas said, handing Tauriel some greens he’d found on the trail. “But I may want one or two all the same.”

 “Well, we don’t have all of our equipment, but we’re better off than we could be,” Thorin said, once again clapping Bilbo on the shoulder. The hobbit smiled humbly, only to squeak as the king yanked him over in a brief one-armed hug.

 Fili shucked his coat and settled by the fire, “Oh, that’s nice…”

 “Had a tinderbox in my coat. Thankfully the flints were mostly dry,” Gloin said. “Deep pockets kept them safe!”

 “Laketown is that way,” Tauriel said, pointing out onto the lake. “There’s a path out onto it if we head left along the water’s edge. We could get supplies there. I have some coin if any of yours was lost.”

 “I have some as well,” Balin said, examining his pockets. This sent off a whole round of pocket-checking, with the general consensus being that they were fiscally fine for now.

 “I brought something to distract the master of the town,” Legolas added. “From looking into things I understand he has a weakness from jeweled pins and so I brought one along.”

 “Your father might not like that,” Fili said and the group quieted at a reminder of just who Legolas and Tauriel had defied.

 “He can’t argue, it’s a my pin,” Legolas said, shrugging. “Never wear it anyway, might as well put it to use.”

 “But won’t you be in trouble for doing this, lad?” Balin asked slowly.

 “He brought it on himself,” Legolas huffed, wandering a bit away from the fire.

 All eyes turned to Tauriel. She sighed, “The King has always been protective of his youngest, truly but…it was shortly after the fall of Erebor that he got much firmer about it.”

 “Yes?” Bilbo asked, giving Kili his seat at the fire’s edge and relocating to one next to Thorin.

 “Well, after a dragon took up residence nearby, the king…was not well-disposed towards Legolas leaving the woods. Ever. Thought it was too dangerous,” Tauriel said. “We eventually got it relaxed to allowed trips to Rivendell but…I think Legolas has a bad case of wandering feet and making him stay anywhere breeds his resentment.”

 “So cooping him up and saying no more trips for a century…?” Nori said with an air of knowing what this was all about. “What? I hear things…”

 “It was his best incentive to run off on his own,” Tauriel agreed.

 “Will the Elvenking be after us?” Thorin asked.

 “We left false evidence hinting you were going out the other side of Mirkwood and around the north edge,” Tauriel said. “With luck we will have a few days’ time before they discover the orcs.”

 “Ah, you had to say it,” Fili groaned. “In case you haven’t noticed, we have no real _luck_.”

 “I don’t know, we got most of our weapons back and out without injuries and all it took was a good dunking,” Kili argued.

 “Do not talk about the river, please,” Bilbo sighed. “We Baggins do _not_ like large bodies of water…”

 Bofur clapped his shoulder. “Well, many thanks for braving it to save us, Bilbo!”

 “And what will you do now?” Thorin asked Tauriel.

 “We will aid you with the dragon,” Legolas said, returning to the fire but pacing instead of reseating himself.

 “Legolas, is that wise?” Tauriel asked. “it is a dragon, after all.”

 “Smaug presents a threat to far greater than the direct area just around the mountain. It is only fate being kind that there is even a Laketown or a Mirkwood,” Legolas said, still pacing outside the main circle. “Doing away with him would be a boon to all.”

 “To be entirely fair, I do not think the elves have much in the way of wealth that’s the dragon-attracting sort,” Dori said.

 “When my father was young, he often fought dragons in the far north,” Legolas said. “I cannot help but wonder if his fear of Smaug is connected to that somehow.”

 “And do not doubt the Elvenking’s treasury, especially with Laketown so dependent on it,” Tauriel added. “If Smaug wanted more that would be the first target. His death helps our people too, whether or not they realize it.”

 “Well, we could draw up some sort of contract, one I get some paper,” Balin said. “Though even our original is in poor condition…”

 “My copy isn’t,” Ori said. “Dori made my jacket with waterproof lining for rain and such. You know, for my books.”

 “Well done Dori!” Dwalin said. “So, we still have our record, then?”

 “Yes, “ Ori said, grinning. Nori ruffled his little brother’s hair. “Stop that!”

 Nori just grinned and Dori pointedly nudged them apart.

 “Supper!” Bombur called, pulling Kili and Fili’s rabbits from the smoking fire.

.o.o.o.

 “So you do sleep regularly, then?” Kili asked Tauriel in the morning.

 “Never met any elves other than Legolas before, have you?” she asked wryly. “We may not always require rest, but yesterday certainly necessitated it!”

 “Just the ones in Rivendell, and they weren’t sleeping on the ground with us. Legolas did, but he only slept once every few nights,” Kili admitted. He peered at Legolas intently. “You know, you look better.”

 “What?” Legolas asked.

 “Then when we were skulking around by the cells. You look…better. Doesn’t he?” Kili asked Tauriel.

 She nodded, “He’s right. Being out in the world suits you, Legolas. Perhaps your wandering issues run deeper than expected.”

 “You did look rather…tired in the palace,” Bilbo added from where he was looking over the lake. “Wrung-out, really. _Trapped_ , even.”

 “I did _not_ ,” Legolas said.

 “You’ve already all-but confessed to feeling caged-in there,” Kili said.

 “…I thought we were going scouting,” Legolas said.

 “I think that’s elvish for ‘mind your own damn business,’” Fili laughed. “Anyway, Uncle and the others will be awake soon, Kee, we need to find breakfast.”

 Legolas went off with the brothers to repeat the previous day’s arrangement while Tauriel and Bilbo worked to get the fire up.

“So why did you really come?” Bilbo asked quietly.

 “Legolas is my friend,” she replied. “And if anyone’s going to go face that dragon, I want to try and help them. Smaug is a threat, Legolas was right about that.”

 “I admit, I’m not too sure how we are to deal with that myself,” Bilbo said. “I was just hired as the burglar.”

 “And what are you to burgle?” Tauriel asked.

 Bilbo frowned, “You know, I don’t know. I assume it’s something from the dragon, of course but…nothing specific, as far as I can tell.”

 “Given how much is likely in the mountain you might not be able to find anything specific very easily,” she noted.

 “My dear Tauriel, I always knew this wasn’t going to be easy,” Bilbo chuckled. “But that’s an adventure for you!”

 “So may I ask you as you asked me?” Tauriel inquired. “Why are you on this quest, Mr. Baggins?”

 “Well, initially it was because…I supposed it’s my mother’s side of the family, all snap-judgments and taking-risks over there but then…I want to help them get their home back, you know?”

 “A noble quest indeed,” Tauriel said. “Let us hope it all works out.”

 By daybreak Kili and Fili had managed to catch some large squirrels and Legolas had found plenty of edible plants. Bilbo was trying to portion it as best he could without any real utensils beyond a tiny kit of Bombur’s that had survived when the rest of the company roused themselves.

 “Nothing coming after us yet,” Kili told Thorin. “Legolas said the path the Laketown is a bit over a day’s walk.”

 Thorin nodded, silently taking his share of the food.

 “Are you all right, Thorin?” Bilbo asked.

 “I am pleased we were not too delayed in the dungeons,” Thorin said. “And merely a bit tired as I did not sleep well there.”

 “I think we should rest today,” Balin suggested. “Let everyone get their bearings back, you know.”

 “I agree,” Thorin said. “Tomorrow we shall journey towards Laketown but today we shall simply get ourselves sorted after our ordeal.”

.o.o.o.

 “So then Thorin’s just annoyed at the teacher for not letting me at least try the bow and what do I end up being really good at?” Kili asked, tending to his bowstring.

 “The bow, I take it?” Legolas asked, attaching an arrowhead to a new shaft.

 “Exactly!” Kili said. “That guy was ridiculous. No wonder Fili and I started getting lessons from Dwalin instead…”

 “But why was your prior teacher against a bow?” Tauriel asked, cleaning one of her daggers.

 Fili and Kili both gave them embarrassed looks. Kili shrugged, “Seen as an elvish weapon.”

 “Surely dwarves can see the use of a bow!” Tauriel protested.

 “Well, yes, it’s useful but a lot don’t like it as their primary weapon,” Kili said. “That’s more of an axes and swords area. Maybe staves.”

 “I think you’re quite good with a bow,” Tauriel said kindly.

 Kili beamed and Fili rolled his eyes. If his brother really thought he was somehow hiding his attraction to the elven maiden, the younger Durin was well out of his mind. Well, it could have been wose—it could have been an elf clearly not attracted back. “Now don’t flatter him, Tauriel. I saw what you and Legolas could do.”

 “Well we’ve had more practice,” Legolas noted. “I’ve had hundreds of years of it, myself.”

 “Aye, I’ve been working with knives since I was old enough to know not the grab the blades,” Fili said, running one of his many blades over a whetstone.

 “So what’s Laketown like?” Kili asked.

 “I was there around fifty years ago,” Tauriel said. “Guarding the noble re-making the shipping agreement for wine and barrels. It’s really amazing, all built on the surface of the lake itself.”

 “How? Are all the houses boats?” Kili wondered.

 “I know the path to the town is like a great dock,” Legolas said. “Perhaps the entire town is built similarly, with posts reaching the lake bottom?”

 “How would you make posts long enough, though? Find a way to nail them together?” Kili wondered. “I mean the toen’s decently dar out, so that part of the lake must be deep…”

 “But then how would you keep the wood from rotting or the nails from eroding?” Fili noted.

 “Frankly it all seems quite overcomplicated,” Kili agreed.

 “You don’t know if that’s how they do it,” Legolas pointed out.

 “You don’t know it’s not!” Fili replied.

.o.o.o.

 “Thorin, might I have a word with you?” Bilbo asked.

 “Mr. Baggins, Balin and I were about to have one with you,” Thorin replied.

 “Oh, well, then go first, please,” Bilbo said.

 “Do you think the elves…trustworthy?” Thorin asked. “You were around them while we were in our cells.”

 “Legolas would not rest until he freed you and kept his word to Gandalf,” Bilbo said. “And Tauriel helped gladly because Legolas is a dear friend and she is somewhat responsible for his wellbeing.”

 “Responsible for his wellbeing?” Balin asked.

 “Like Dwalin for Thorin,” Bilbo said. “A sort of friendly bodyguard.”

 “But now the prince’s promise is fulfilled,” Thorin said. “And yet he says he wishes to go further.”

 “Legolas sees you as wronged by his father. He wants to try and make that right,” Bilbo said. “Now, whether he’s doing it for you or to spite the Elvenking is beyond me…”

 “Very well. If you trust them then so shall I for now. We shall work out a contract with them in the town,” Thorin said. “Bilbo shall be their representative.”

 “They can represent themselves!” Bilbo said.

 “No, no, one of the company must bargain on their behalf. Balin bargained quite nicely for you,” Thorin added.

 “Well, only because Gandalf could not himself,” Balin said humbly.

 “Oh, well, thank you, Balin,” Bilbo said.

 “What was your question, then?” Thorin asked Bilbo.

 “Well…I am the burglar, yes? What am I to burgle?” Bilbo asked.

 Thorin nodded, “A fair question, and one we should have addressed sooner. It is called the Arkenstone…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So our merry band has gotten to know a few things about each other and Bilbo at last learns what he is to burgle!  
> I made Tauriel older than canon where she is 3-6 hundred depending on source. I just felt that given her job it seemed a bit young.


	8. Paths and Plots

 “That’s a long path,” Fili said, squinting. “Can barely see the town at the end of it…or is that just rocks in the fog…”

 “I can see it. It should take us no more than two hours to cross at our current pace,” Legolas said.

 “Balin has advised rest and we have a month. I see no need to rush,” Thorin admitted, gaining many a grateful look.

 “We should get our stories straight before we get there,” Bilbo suggested.

 “We dwarves and you are travelling to the Iron Hills to see kin and do some business, and the elves accompany us for trade reasons,” Thorin said simply. “All else is unneeded.”

 “And we are heavily armed because the roads are now quite dangerous,” Dwalin added.

 “Add in the coins we plan to give them and we should be fine,” Tauriel finished.

 “We shall contribute as equally as possible towards finding a place to stay,” Balin said. “And then tonight we shall draw up a contract for Legolas and Tauriel.”

 “I really don’t see why we need that,” Legolas said, shrugging. “Tauriel and I have already agreed we wish to aid you.”

 “For one, if you're incinerated, your father will know you agreed to it,” Bofur said.

 “I do not think that would help,” Legolas said. “So I may need to add a final letter to my father telling him not to do anything ridiculous like seek revenge.”

 “Aye, that shall go into the terms, then, that you have stated such with witnesses,” Balin said.

 “Not sure we’d count as impartial witnesses,” Fili noted dryly.

 “Well, here we are,” Gloin said as they reached the foot of the bridge.

 “This part’s definitely made like a dock,” Fili said. “Posts to the bottom, planks between posts to hold up the path, seems rather sturdy.”

 “Then you shall all walk on it instead of staring at it,’ Thorin prompted, striding out onto the path and dragging Bilbo alongside him. The hobbit looked unsurprised and did not fight the grip, simply keeping pace with the king.

 “Really, it seems _quite_ safe to me,” Bilbo added, his jaw set as though he was trying not to smile too much.

 Tauriel drifted to the back with Kili and Fili. “Kili…your uncle…”

 “What about him?” Fili asked.

 “Are he and hobbit…involved?” she asked. “Other than you two Mr. Baggins is the only one Thorin regularly…well…”

 “Hug? Smiles at?” Fili offered.

 “Well, nobody knows. We have quite the betting pool,” Kili said. “After you get your contracts we can let you in on the action, if you want.”

 “How do you have a betting pool if you don’t know what it is?” Tauriel asked.

 “Well, I’m betting they both like each other but have no idea they’re in love,” Fili said. “Kili says Uncle knows he’s in love but Bilbo doesn’t know he is yet. And Dwalin-”

 “Will be quite put out if you reveal his bet to someone without a bet of their own,” Balin admonished.

 “I’m sorry, is this a…a sort of thing everyone in the company knows about?” Legolas asked, dropping back to join the conversation. “It did not come up in Mirkwood.”

 “You and Estel were not potential company members, nor did you ask. And, well, we need some entertainment,” Balin said sheepishly. “One can only hear Gloin wax poetic about his wife and son for so long without looking for a distraction.”

 “Or wonder how the hell we’ll deal with the dragon,” Kili added.

 “Or watch Uncle mope,” Fili chuckled. “Or the wizard smoke and say random, cryptic things that really don’t help, but Gandalf’s not here to even do that anymore.”

 “Mithrandir is a wise man,” Legolas said calmly.

 “You didn’t say he wasn’t cryptic,” Kili replied with a smirk.

.o.o.o.

 “Father, we have a prisoner.”

 Aenor was hovering by the door, tensed like a frightened rabbit. Thranduil really had to work on increasing his eldest’s spine one of these days. “One of the dwarves? Or the hobbit?”

 Aenor swallowed, “An orc, my king.”

 Thranduil’s hands clenched into fists. “Has he talked?”

 “A little. He knew of the company, knew Legolas was with them before coming here,” Aenor said. “There is also a price on Thorin Oakenshield’s head.”

 “And the orcs wish to collect?” Thranduil asked.

 “I think…their leader, their chief or whatever it is orcs have, was the one who set it,” Aenor said. “They won’t stop until they kill him.”

 “And Legolas, the naïve boy, is now in their sights as well because of it,” Thranduil snarled.

 “We think the orcs were trying to sneak in through the winery. They killed some of the guards upriver,” Aenor added. “But we do not know how the dwarves plan to circumnavigate Mirkwood.”

 “Dispatch Lagoron to Rivendell. Tell him he will _not_ leave there without the Ranger Estel,” Thranduil said. “That ranger is the likely only one who knows exactly what Legolas planned.”

 “Father, we can’t just _take_ Estel. Elrond would be furious!” Aenor argued.

 “Then don’t take him, convince him to come somehow,” Thranduil said. “Your brother is out there being a fool and I will not accept his getting himself killed!”

 “Give Legolas some credit, father,” Aenor said, turning to leave. “He had the sense to bring a guard.”

.o.o.o.

 “Guard post coming up,” Legolas said quietly. “Who shall do the talking?”

 “I think I shall,” Balin said, moving to the front with Thorin and Bilbo. “Might make it harder for them to guess Thorin’s identity if they do not know he is in charge, after all.”

 “When one has a price on one’s head, anonymity is probably for the best,” Tauriel agreed.

 “Who goes there!” a man called.

 “Just travelers!” Balin called back in his most pleasant voice. “We were hoping to rest in town!”

 One of the guards came forward. He had wild dark hair and scruff more unruly than Kili’s despite a relatively-tamed mustache. “And where are you travelling to?”

 “To the Iron Hills,” Balin said, smiling disarmingly. “Just bearing news and such from the Blue Mountains, though the elves have some trade business, I believe?” He looked at Tauriel and Legolas as though he was silently asking them if he was correct.

 “The Elvenking wishes to inquire about certain gems there,” Legolas said impassively. “So travelling together made some sense.”

 “Heavily armed for news and trade-bearers,” the guard said.

 “Well, my lad, forgive my saying so, but you’re rather shoddily armed for a town guard,” Balin laughed. “But then, the roads are likely more dangerous than your lovely settlement, eh?”

 “We also have news for the town concerning the forest,” Tauriel added.

 “I suppose you should see the Master, then,” the guard said.

 “Ah, thank you. What is your name, then?” Balin asked.

 “Bard,” the guard said.

 “A pleasure, really,” Balin said.

 “Did he get lessons from Bilbo?” Kili muttered. Fili elbowed his brother as they entered the town. “What? You must be thinking it too, Fee!”

 “Actually I’m thinking I have finally seen a person more grim than Uncle,” Fili admitted, nodding at Bard. He glanced around, “And I thought the early years in the Blue Mountains looked a bit shoddy…”

 “Be polite,” Dori hissed.

 “Bard! What is this!”

 The group stopped as a man in black accosted their guide. “Why are you leading an armed band through town? Some sort of plan of yours?”

 “They’re travelers looking for a place to stay and the elves have news for the Master,” Bard said tiredly. “I was simply escorting them, Alfrid, as any guard would.”

 “I really don’t think we’re _that_ well-armed for travelers, are we?” Bilbo asked innocently. Bard looked like he was trying not to grin.

 “What is this one, anyway?” Alfrid asked, gesturing at Bilbo.

 “A hobbit,” Balin said, his smile faltering for a moment. “Now may the elves please meet with this town Master so we might then find ourselves some lodgings?”

.o.o.o.

 “There were dead orcs along the river,” Lagoron said. The general leaned over his brother’s chair, dark eyes sparking. “So why are some of my soldiers combing the _forest_?”

 “What makes you think orcs along a river have anything to do with our little brother’s disappearing act?” Aenor asked.

 “This,” Lagoron said, dropping a familiar arrow on the table. “I know Legolas’ arsenal by heart, brother. I helped make anything he didn’t craft himself. _What is going on_ , Aenor?”

 “I think I’m the only one who looks into old prophecies in this family,” Aenor said. “The mountain-king was always going to return. And if Mithrandir sanctioned this return, and Legolas had no reason to lie about making promises to the wizard and thus he _does_ sanction it, then it must be the right king returning at the right time.”

 “…So what do I tell Estel?”

 “That we might need him to save Legolas from a dragon. They’re dear friends, that will bring him faster than anything,” Aenor said. “Look. As the forest darkens, Father grows more…”

 “Stubborn? Hotheaded? Unable to see reason when his emotions are involved which they always are with his youngest?” Lagoron asked.

 “Yes. Besides, he brought this on himself. He’s the one who told Legolas sometimes trust must be abused for the greater good,” Aenor said. “Though Legolas should know better than to try and fool the likes of you and I with this stunt…”

 “You know, since Father’s the king, this is treason,” Lagoron said.

 “He said we were to find Legolas. We _will_. Eventually,” Aenor replied.

 “So you think the dragon will die?”

 “I have reason to believe so,” Aenor said. “You were there when Smaug entered that mountain. You saw what I’m talking about.”

 Lagoron’s eyes widened, “You don’t mean…”

 “Yes. Which is why two elven archers might be a bit of a boon, really,” Aenor said. “I’ll keep an eye on the lake all the same, just in case. And try to make Father focus on perhaps actually wiping out _all_ the spiders, not just the ones nearby, Tauriel and Legolas have been right to complain about that for the last few weeks. You just need to get Estel. Are we clear?”

 “Transparently.”

 “Good. I suppose I’ll also have to come up with a way to explain this for when father eventually finds out,” Aenor added as Lagoron swept from the room.

.o.o.o.

 “And so with the increased attacks, our king felt it prudent that the citizens of Laketown be warned that the forest is no longer strictly safe,” Legolas said.

 The Master nodded. He was a corpulent man with the most inane attempt at hiding baldness that any of the party had ever seen. Dwalin was half-tempted to walk over to that table and make the man display his bare head with pride instead of that monstrous combed-over cover-up.

 “Thank you,” the Master said, fingering the jeweled pin Legolas had given him. Thorin was working not to roll his eyes at the craftsmanship—it was clearly man-made at best and those were far lesser stones than emeralds on it. Nephrite at best, really.  “Now, you say you need lodging?”

 “Yes. At the very least the lady shall need her own room and we shall need it for a week or so,” Balin said. “We can pay.”

 “There’s the house by the old oar maker’s,” Alfrid said quickly. “It’s been empty a few years, but I’m sure you would find it suitable.”

 “And who would we pay?” Balin asked.

 “Why, the Master!” Alfrid said. “All the old houses are his.”

 “Well, then, that’s…convenient!” Balin said, nodding. Bilbo and Thorin could both see his pleasant facade straining over dealing with these oily, untrustworthy men.

 The company passed their money forward, Tauriel and Legolas’ elven coins mixing with the dwarven ones.

 ‘A week, then?” the Master asked.

 “Yes,” Thorin said.

 “Bard, why don’t you take them? You seem to be such friends!” Alfrid said.

 “If the Master wishes,” Bard said tightly.

 The company thus found themselves in much better hands on their way to their lodgings.

.o.o.o.

 “We could just take the town!”

 “No!” Bolg ordered. “Too many Men there, too many ways to go wrong.”

 “We could take them!” the scout huffed.

 “No,” Bolg replied. “We have lost two-thirds our party already. My father wants only the head of Thorin Oakenshield. You think the dwarf will not leave for his mountain soon enough?”

 “A trap?” one warg-rider asked.

 “A massacre,” Bolg replied, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now we know why Bolg hadn't come back yet...  
> In the books Bard is a guardsman of Laketown, and in the animated film that's how he introduces himself. Since we didn't need him to get them into the town itself this time, i let him have is old position while trying to preserve the atmosphere of the movie regarding his social standing in the town.  
> So now we've seen a bit of Aenor and Lagoron, with Aenor showing he might be a bit more clever than his dear littlest brother thought...


	9. Contrary with Contracts

 “Do elves’ braids mean anything?”

 “What?” Tauriel asked Nori.

 “Your braids, do they mean anything?” Nori repeated, carefully checking his own extensively-braided beard in the mirror.

 “Oh, so that _was_ what you asked,” she said. “No, not really, they simply serve to keep my hair out of my eyes.”

 “Well they look quite nice all the same, my dear,” Balin said politely while brushing out his beard.

 “Was just wondering since Legolas only has the two at his temples while you have the crown of your head braided as well,” Nori said.

 “Legolas’ hair doesn’t fly about as much as mine does,” Tauriel said. “He’s quite lucky. Though he braids more if he expects a serious fight.”

 “Really? Your hair ‘flies about’ does it?” Balin asked. “Usually when hair reaches a great length it keeps its shape if it’s all down the back…or in my case, the front.” He patted his beard proudly.

 “Might not be all there is to it,” Nori said. “Kili’s barely got shorter hair than Thorin but still needs his crown pulled back when his uncle doesn’t.”

 “Maybe the Valar simply let some of us get away with looser hair,” Bilbo joked as he came in. “Bombur and I finished breakfast.”

 “Ah, a real meal at last!” Nori cheered, exiting the one room with a mirror and sliding down the bannister to the kitchen.

 “We have salads for you and Legolas,” Bilbo added, handing Tauriel the last of her ties.

 “Thank you,” Tauriel said. “Mr. Baggins, do all hobbits have such _short_ hair?”

 “I know, tis a tragedy,” Balin said. “But hobbits rarely keep hair past their shoulders, even the ladies!”

 “Whatever for?” Tauriel asked as she gave her hair a final check.

 “All right you two,” Bilbo sighed. “Balin, _you_ know better, at least. Tauriel, hobbits have very curly hair, it does not manage well long.”

 “Have you ever tried it long?” she asked, tying her own hair off.

 “No. Nor do I intend to,” Bilbo said, throwing up his hands and leaving.

 “I’ll have to remind Kili and Fili not to let him buy scissors here,” Balin mused. “Nori’s already taken his old ones…”

 “Would this be in any relation to a certain betting pool?” Tauriel asked. “Trying to make the hobbit’s hair grow perhaps for some…attention?”

 “Whatever gave you that idea?” Balin asked, smiling.

.o.o.o.

 “The chief concern is of course how you shall be compensated,” Thorin said as Balin and Ori wrote out the basics of the elves’ contract.

 “I shall be compensated by aiding you in getting back your home and hopefully mending some fences in doing so,” Legolas said, giving Bilbo a bewildered look.

 “Don’t look at me like that,” the hobbit said. “I’m still arguing that I wouldn’t know what to do with a whole fourteenth of the treasure like in my original contract! In fact, Thorin, you can pay them with some of that.”

 “But it’s your share!” Fili protested.

 “I’m a hobbit. I have no use for even a whole chest, much less one fourteenth of what we find!” Bilbo said.

“All right, Bilbo has proposed the elves both be paid from his share,” Thorin sighed with a dramatic gesture.

 “Well, someone would have to give up at least part of their share to pay them,” Balin admitted. “And if Bilbo does not mind, then it’s all just as well.”

 “I do not want to be paid!” Legolas protested. “I did not ask payment from Mithrandir and I will not ask it from you!”

 “Pay me in weaponry,” Tauriel decided.

 “Tauriel!” Legolas said, shocked.

 “What? They’re clearly going to insist on paying us. I don’t mind some good, dwarf-made weapons,” she said. “It’s not like I’ll ever come across any of the First Age elven weapons, even with my position in the guard, so there is an opportunity to get something nearly equal.”

 “All right, pay Tauriel in weaponry equal to a bit less than half my original share,” Bilbo said as Dwalin and Thorin grumbled over the ‘nearly equal’ comment.

 “Well, you’re never going to pay for weapons again,” Kili commented. “Smart choice.”

 “I thought so,” Tauriel said. “Now, what would my conditions be?”

 “Well, you are required to stick with us until the dragon is dead and if necessarily separate Erebor is reclaimed,” Balin said. “You are required to listen to Thorin as your commanding officer. With your eyesight and speed I recommend we employ you as a scout, miss.”

 “That sounds acceptable,” Tauriel said.

 “We shall reimburse you for travelling expenses and if necessary provide funeral expenses,” Ori added kindly.

 “I should like a clause saying if Legolas does something monumentally absurd while he is not with me and injures himself in doing so that I am officially not to blame,” Tauriel said.

 “Absurd?” Legolas asked.

 “You’ve proven a lack of rationality simply by signing up for this,” she said. “As this is proof to your father that this is all of your own free will I should like a clause to keep me from his wrath if at all possible.”

 “Add that Tauriel is under Erebor’s protection if for some reason the Elvenking turns his anger on her,” Thorin said. “I shall warn you that will be worth little, especially at first.”

 “It is worth much,” Tauriel said, inclining her head to the king.

 Balin nodded, “All right, now as for you, Legolas…”

 “I do not want anything!” Legolas protested.

 “Neither do I, but you’re getting something anyway,” Bilbo said. “Really, it’s treasure, there must be something you could make do with?”

 “Well if there is, I don’t know what it would be,” Legolas sighed.

 “Wait, if I’m going by what you’re planning…are you giving the _majority_ of your share to them?” Thorin asked suspiciously.

 “Well, yes. Again, I don’t have much use for that much treasure,” Bilbo said.

 “Hobbits,” Dwalin sighed, shaking his head.

 Thorin frowned, “Very well, Bilbo, but we shall discuss that later. Elf, surely you can come up with _something_.”

 “I suppose we could just go with something equivalent to Tauriel’s to be determined later?” Legolas asked. “Because frankly I have no idea what you could give me.” He frowned. “Unless the mountain has good maps of the rest of Arda…”

 “They would not be recent,” Thorin noted as Tauriel and Kili snickered.

 “Well, I might want some anyway,” Legolas shrugged.

 “How do I bargain for that?” Bilbo asked Balin.

 The old dwarf chuckled, “I think between the elves and you we’ve been thrown for a loop, lad. Dwarves are used to far more contentious negotiations than this!”

 “I don’t know, the lass did a fair job,” Bofur said. “At least she asked for something to argue over!”

 “But it was not argued over,” Tauriel pointed out.

 “Aye, but we could have if there had been the slightest need for objection. Good job,” Balin said. “Bilbo and Legolas will perhaps have a better idea of what they want when they reach the mountain-”

 “You all getting your home back,” Bilbo interjected.

 “Smaug dead,” Legolas added.

 “-buts they are for now both incorrigible,” Balin said, finishing the contract. “Well, read it and then sign it.”

 Bilbo took the contract and scanned it with the elves, “All in order?”

 “I like the ‘he came on his own and insists no other bear responsibility for his fate’ bit,” Legolas chuckled, signing.

 Tauriel nodded and signed as well, “So officially we are both scouts?”

 “Everyone not listed as a leader, warrior, or burglar is,” Balin said.

 “…So what are you?” Kili piped up.

 Balin smiled, “Ask my mace upstairs that, lad.”

 Fili and Thorin both smacked the youngest Durin over the head.

.o.o.o.

 “So nice to have proper utensils again,” Bombur said happily. He gave the soup a few extra stirs.

 “I agree. Those rocks cannot have been good for the taste,” Bilbo laughed. “Where is everyone, anyway? I settle down for a nap and wake to an empty house!”

 “Nori’s on the roof with Dwalin, looking at possible paths up the mountain and coming up with excuses for the Men. Thorin and Balin are planning. I think everyone else went off into the town,” the rotund dwarf said. “Should be home in an hour or two for dinner.”

 “I see,” Bilbo said, seizing a roll and buttering it. “Do you…know where Thorin and Balin are talking? Would they mind interruption?”

 “It didn’t seem over-important, so probably not,” Bombur said. “They’re in Thorin, Fili, and Kili’s room.”

 “Thank you,” Bilbo said. He finished his roll and headed up the stairs. He was almost at the top when he collided with Thorin, who was about to descend. “Thorin!”

 “Burglar,” the king greeted, catching the hobbit before Bilbo fell down the steps.

 “You all right there, Bilbo?” Balin asked.

 “Fine, fine,” Bilbo said as Thorin stepped back to let him get his balance back. “I was looking for you…two…”

 He needed to tell them about the ring. He needed to even though he didn’t want to. If they were planning it was easily something to work into the plans. Invisibility would be a boon against a dragon.

 “Bilbo?” Thorin asked, gently shaking him by the shoulder.

 “You just started staring at nothing, lad,” Balin said worriedly. “Do you need some rest?”

 “No! No, Thorin, Balin, I need to talk with you,” Bilbo said quickly. “Before I forget or lose my nerve or…something…”

 “Of course lad, what is it?” Balin asked.

 Bilbo went to say it but just couldn’t seem to. Why couldn’t he just say it?

 “Bilbo, what’s wrong?” Thorin asked. The king’s hand fell on his shoulder and it was then Bilbo figured out what to say.

 “Remember when you asked how I escaped the goblin caves?”

 Thorin looked confused, “Yes…the wizard seemed to think it unimportant, though, so I let it drop.”

 “I think it might be more important than Gandalf thought,” Bilbo said. “And it might actually aid us in some way, so I thought I should tell you, I’ve actually wanted to for some time but I’m always forgetting, you see, that I found a…a ring.”

 “A ring?” Balin asked blankly. “What sort of ring?”

 “I don’t know. Magic, I suppose,” Bilbo said. “But I keep having this disinclination to tell anyone, especially Gandalf and then I didn’t tell him before he left and…I don’t know what to do.”

 “Does it…pain you?” Thorin asked, confused. His hand went from simply lying on Bilbo’s shoulder to holding it and it gave the hobbit enough will to keep talking.

 “No, no, it’s fine, really,” Bilbo said. “But I keep feeling…odd about it. I don’t know why. Usually only after I’ve used it.”

 “For what do you use it, Mr. Baggins?” Balin asked.

 “It turns me invisible,” Bilbo said. “That’s how I escaped the goblins. And how I found Thorin in the dungeons. I was going to tell you then, Thorin but I just, just didn’t. I don’t know why. I was going to, I swear, but I…didn’t.”

 “Well, thank you for telling us now, then, but why do you think it’s so important?” Balin asked.

 “Because hopefully we’ll see Gandalf soon,” Bilbo said. “And I want you to two to _make_ me tell him if I somehow lose my nerve. I don’t know what it is about this thing, I can’t seem to…even now I keep thinking I should run because I told you-”

 Thorin grabbed his other shoulder too, “You do not need to run.”

 “Yes, well, I know that, truly!” Bilbo said. “I...I do not like what it does to me head when I try to think on it.”

 “Then do not,” Balin said firmly. “If you’ve handled it well this far, then we shall consider it safe where it is. For all we know the effects might be even worse with a dwarf or an elf. But Thorin and I will keep an eye on you all the same. Don’t think about it, Bilbo, and perhaps it may leave you alone.”

 Bilbo nodded, smiling. “Then you will make certain I manage to tell Gandalf?”

 “We will,” Thorin said. “Is that why you had that odd expression in Mirkwood? When we fought the spiders?”

 “Yes,” Bilbo said. “I was about to tell you and Bofur so I could use the ring to slip the spiders and find Fili, Kili, Bifur, and Legolas but when I went to say it…nothing came out!”

 “You seem able to talk of it now,” Thorin noted.

 “I have not used it much of late. When we were at Beorn’s I was experimenting with it and so perhaps it still had a hold on me. I only needed it briefly in Mirkwood,” Bilbo said. “I just…I told you in case it would be of use in dealing with Smaug.”

 Thorin frowned, “But if it affects your mind…no. Only to save your life, Bilbo Baggins, and for no other reason will you use that ring.”

 Bilbo felt some sort of hot anger, how dare Thorin tell him how to use his ring? It was his! He shuddered at the foreign feeling, “I think it is still getting to me.”

 “Then stop thinking of it,” Thorin said, pulling Bilbo’s hand away from where it had drifted near his pocket. “Come. You need more practice with your letter-opener anyway.”

 “I’m calling it Sting,” Bilbo said.

 “Aye, and maybe it might manage to wound better than an insect if you train properly,” Thorin said.

 “Thorin!” Bilbo huffed, but there was no heat in it. Once his thoughts turned from the ring, the anger it had seemingly brought forth vanished, leaving behind the hobbit who was more than happy to spend time with someone so dear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Bilbo has finally managed to tell someone about the ring, even if it's not Gandalf, and Balin thankfully thought it might be worse if someone else had it.   
> A lot of downtime in this chapter, but downtime is important too.


	10. Legends of Laketown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The company finish off their stay on the lake with some interesting revelations...

 With Thorin still plotting out the next move, the company had naturally decided to explore what they could of the town on the lake. After much pestering of Bard the Guardsman Fili had discovered that he was right: the majority of the houses were built with poles that reached the bottom of the lake, though these poles needed to be replaced every couple decades or so.

 Thorin had been very disappointed in how drunk his heir got in celebrating his correctness.

 “Fili still hung over?” Bofur asked as Kili wandered over onto the dock the toymakers and Tauriel were on.

 “Very much so,” Kili yawned. “Kept me up half the night too. What are you all doing?”

 “Carving,” Bofur said and Bifur nodded in agreement, showing off a well-whittled cat.

 “Re-attaching some arrowheads,” Tauriel said. “I should want them all in the best possible condition when we leave, after all.”

 “Aye,” Kili said. “Roads to the Iron Hills are likely rather dangerous still.”

 “Think we’ll see more orcs?” Tauriel asked conversationally, going with their cover.

 “Orcs?”

 The dwarves and elf turned to see a small band of children staring at them. A few glared at a tall sandy-haired boy, presumably the one who had spoken.

 “Aye, orcs,” Bofur said. “Nothing we couldn’t handle though.”

 “What are orcs like?” one of the smaller boys asked.

 “Ugly,” Kili said.

 “Smelly,” Bofur added.

 “Quite unpleasant altogether, really,” Tauriel said.

 Bifur nodded firmly.

 “Are they scary?” another boy asked.

 “Suppose they could be,” Kili said. “But I’m not scared of ‘em.”

 Bofur rolled his eyes, “Nah, he’s just scared of the giant spiders of Mirkwood.”

 “Giant spiders!” Soon all the children were gathered around them.

 “Aye. Some even larger than Miss Tauriel here is tall,” Bofur said.

 “I _wasn’t_ scared,” Kili protested.

 “You’d have been right to be since they paralyzed you,” Tauriel said. She smiled at the children, “That means the spiders make it so you can’t move. I personally think it is rather terrifying.”

 “Are you a princess?” one of the girls suddenly asked Tauriel. The elf stared at her, unsure of how to respond to that.

 “Even better, she’s a warrior,” Kili said, grinning.  “One of the finest I’ve ever seen!”

 Tauriel smiled. “Not that you dwarves are terrible yourselves. You are more than great matches for the evils of the road.”

 “Thank ye, lass,” Bofur said. “So, what are such young ones like you lot doing spying on dwarves?”

 “Were any of your from the mountain? Back when it was a mountain?” a little girl blurted out.

 “Aye, my cousin and I were young when Erebor was lost, but I recall it,” Bofur said, nodding.

 “There’s old songs saying a king will return to take it back,” the sandy-haired boy said suspiciously.

 “Well, all the old royal family of Erebor are back in the Blue Mountains. Good new settlement there, very nice,” Bofur said. “Good mining. Anyone want a bird?”

 “What?” an older boy asked.

 “Bird,” Bofur repeated, offering a carved dove. One little boy reached his hands out and Bofur passed it over.

 “We…can’t pay,” an older girl who looked like the boy said. He little brother went to give it back but Bofur refused.

 “No trouble. Just practicing my skills. Someone might as well take it,” Bofur said, smiling.

 Not to be outdone, Bifur proudly produced a rabbit, giving it to one of the littler girls.

 “Can you carve too?” the sandy-haired boy asked Kili.

 “No. I’m more a smith. But nothing to smith here so I’ll stick to being an archer,” Kili said, tapping his quiver.

 “Are you two friends?” a tiny girl with black hair asked, looking between him and Tauriel.

 “We are indeed,” Kili said. “A real man cannot be saved from vicious beasts by someone without calling them friend.”

 “Man. Pfft. Your beard won’t even come in right,” Bofur teased. Kili flicked a wood shaving at him.

 “So the people of this town expect the dwarves to return for Erebor one day?” Tauriel asked.

 “There’s an old song,” the sandy-haired boy said. “But it also says ‘the lake shall shine and burn’ so you can see a lot of us not looking forward to it.”

 Bifur asked something and Bofur nodded, “How do you burn a lake, boy?”

 “A dragon could,” the boy replied.

 One of the bigger boys growled, “Well, Bain, if your ancestor had done his job-!”

 “Girion did hit the dragon!” the boy shouted back. “It didn’t work!”

 “Whoa, whoa, slow down, boys,” Bofur said. “What?”

 “My ancestor. Girion. He _did_ his the dragon,” Bain said darkly. “It only knocked a scale loose once. The rest bounced off.”

 “He was using black arrows and a crossbow meant to kill dragons!” the bigger boy said. “He _missed_ Bain, you idiot. That’s why your dad is only-”

 “Don’t talk about my da!” Bain yelled, and Kili quickly planted himself between the boys.

 “Oi! Nothing about nobody’s dads, you hear me?” Kili asked firmly. “Look, whether or not Girion knocked off any scales the dragon’s still alive and there’s nothing anyone can do, all right?”

 “He did.”

 The kids and dwarves all looked at Tauriel.

 “Legolas’ brother Lagoron was there. He saw a black arrow hit Smaug’s breast and something fell with the arrow, something like a scale,” Tauriel said. “You…didn’t know?”

 “How do _you_ know?” Bofur asked slowly.

 “Lagoron told Legolas and I. The arrows not working was a factor in…a factor in the lack of aid given during the attack,” Tauriel said guiltily. “Our king took it to mean Smaug was simply too strong to fight.”

 The dwarves all started at her, as did the children. Bofur recovered quickly, “Well, we’ll mention it to the king back in the Blue Mountains then, shall we? See if that means we might be able to do something about the dragon after all one day.”

 “R-right,” Kili said shakily. As Bifur and Bofur distracted the children with more carvings he motioned for Tauriel to lean close, “Did you think we knew?”

 “Yes.”

 “…Tell my uncle. Tonight,” Kili said.

.o.o.o.

 “This isn’t a smithy, it’s a disgrace,” Dwalin huffed as he and Thorin tended to the company’s weapons.

 “Well, the smith is out, so he likely knows it better than we,” Thorin said.

 “Thorin, just say it’s a bloody disgrace.”

 “These people have given us hospitality. Given that it floats on a lake, this forge is actually…decent,” Thorin said.

 “We don’t build on land anymore,” Bard said from the door where he’d been watching them like a hawk. “Dragon used to come around and torch it every ten years or so. Stopped when we built on the lake fifty years ago.”

 “A wise choice,” Thorin said, tending to Deathless.

 “Your name is familiar,” Bard said, frowning.

 “I’ve worked as a blacksmith before. Perhaps your friend who owns this forge heard of me?” Thorin offered.

 “Your intended path seems to lead towards Erebor.”

 “We merely wish to glimpse the gates,” Thorin lied smoothly. “My nephews are descended from Erebor and have never seen it. After that we shall turn east for the Iron Hills, which are thankfully dragon-free.”

 “Does it come out to hunt?” Dwalin asked casually. “Or do you think it somehow subsists on gold alone?”

 “I wouldn’t know. No one’s seen it in my lifetime, just the smoke sometimes drifting from the mountain,” Bard replied.

 “Tragic, really,” Thorin said. “Still, at least both the destroyed civilizations have found homes elsewhere.”

 “So, how are the Blue Mountains, compared to here?” Bard asked, willing to change the wighty subject.

 “Warmer,” Thorin said. “Longer summers than here. Less fish.”

 “No large lakes, then?”

 “Nay. Not much in the way of rivers, either.”

.o.o.o.

 “They’ve a lot of things salvaged from old Dale,” Nori told Balin as he sat down for dinner. “Including tapestries with the Erebor family named.”

 “That’s bad,” Balin said. “Thorin’s used his real name thus far.”

 “I’d say focus on his past as a smith,” Nori said. “Speak not of Erebor if we can. Talk fondly of the Blue Mountains as home.”

 “Aye,” Balin said, lighting his pipe. “Should we leave sooner?”

 “We’re likely not pressed for time,” the thief admitted. “As long as we lay low we should stay out our week here just fine.”

 “Good man,” Balin said.

 “Where’s Uncle?”

 “Kili!” Balin said. “…What happened to you lot?”

 Tauriel and Bofur shrugged, but Kili was apparently too intent on finding his uncle to care that there was a crown of daisies on his head just as various other blooms and weeds were stuffed in the others’ braids.  

 “We hung around the children of Laketown, is Uncle here? And Legolas?” Kili asked. “Turns out there’s something about Smaug we didn’t know but the elves knew that they thought we knew but didn’t.”

 “And this came out when playing with the town’s children?” Nori asked.

 “One thing led to another,” Bofur said, shrugging. “But Smaug may have a weak point, a missing scale from Girion making a shot all those year ago.”

 “You mean he _hit_ the dragon?” Nori asked, shocked.

 “Yes, according to Lagoron, who was there,” Tauriel said. “Until some of the children started arguing about Girion, I had no idea the men and dwarves did not know.”

 “Lagoron?” Balin asked.

 “Legolas’ brother and the head of the army. He mentioned it after the dragon first came,” Tauriel said. “Legolas got left behind and had to know everything and I was guarding Legolas that day.”

 “Elves do have sharp eyes,” Kili added.

 “We’ll have to look into this. Nori, go fetch Legolas,” Balin said.

 “Right,” the sneaky dwarf said, heading upstairs.

 “Now, are you _certain_ you concealed our actual plans?” Balin asked the group.

 “Yep. Said if the information was true we’d have to relay it to our king when we got back to the Blue Mountains,” Bofur said.

 “Bard’s son was suspicious, though,” Kili said. “The Men have a prophecy. Something about the lake burning when the dwarven king returns. He was very quick to tell us of it.”

 “Warning you, likely,” Balin said. “Brave thing for a boy against armed adults. Well, adults and Kili.”

 “Hey!” the young prince huffed. “I _am_ of age, Balin!”

 Tauriel snickered into a fist as Nori returned with Legolas, Dori, and Fili.

 “What’s this about the dragon?” Dori asked.

 “Bard’s son and the elves claim Girion shot a scale off,” Balin said. “That he _did_ hit the beast.”

 “He did. Did you not know?” Legolas asked, surprised.

 “Can you lot stop asking it like that?” Kili sighed.

 “Well, since ‘we lot’ are only compromised of we two, you should have no more worries,” Tauriel said, grinning.

 “So Smaug might be missing some of his armor, you’re saying?” Fili asked, before turning on his heel and leaving.

 “Well, Uncle will be here soon, then,” Kili said.

 “Do you know where?” Balin asked Legolas and Tauriel.

 “Lagoron said Girion fired…four shots,” Legolas said, brow creasing in concentration. “Tail grazed by one…claws smacked down two…the one that hit was in the…torso?”

 “Breast area,” Tauriel agreed. “And it only knocked off a scale. So the king felt there was nothing his army could do.”

 “Supposedly,” Nori said.

 “We are only saying what we have been told,” Legolas said testily.

 “So Smaug is missing a scale over his breast,” Bofur mused. “And we have three archers…”

 “We don’t know for sure,” Balin cautioned. “And the scale may have regrown.”

 “But if it hasn’t?” Kili said, grinning. “We might have a better chance than we thought!”

 “Keep your optimism in check, Kili, we’re not sure,” Dori chided as the rest of the company started to come in.

 “What’s going on?” Bilbo asked.

 “What about scales?” Ori added.

 “Let’s just wait for Thorin to come back,” Balin said. “He and Dwalin can’t rush, it would look too suspicious. Let’s get dinner laid out and deal with this when they come back.”

.o.o.o.

 “Could he have seen it clearly?” Thorin grilled Legolas.

 “My family has good eyes even for elves,” the prince agreed. “It would have been easy.”

 Thorin nodded, “He would not have a reason to lie to you then. So, if he did see it, and the scale is still missing…”

 “But is it still missing? Smaug’s had a hundred and fifty years to regrow it,” Dwalin said.

 “Still, if we can confirm the missing scale, then we should have a pan for when we do,” Nori said.

 “Would any of Kili, Tauriel, or Legolas’ arrows be strong enough to damage Smaug without that scale?” Bilbo asked.

 “Most of their tips are strong enough, but their shafts are all wood,” Dori said.

 “Oi, let the archers answer the archery questions!” Kili complained.

 “It’s sturdy wood,” Tauriel agreed.

 “I’ll go back to the forge tomorrow, make some metal shafts,” Thorin said.

 “From what?” Gloin asked.

 “They have some iron lying about I could pay for,” Thorin said. “You lot will have to practice with them.”

 “Right,” Kili said.

 “You should have said we’d need them, I’d have taken some from the guard rooms,” Tauriel sighed.

 “No one knew,” Legolas reminded her.

 “Yes, but it would have been more convenient.”

 “We have time,” Balin reminded them. “And you three can practice while we explore the mountain.”

 “Been buying up supplies for that,” Gloin said. “Been warned to bring blankets. Lots of them.”

 “Good,” Thorin said. “We leave in three days, then.”

.o.o.o.

 “You’re the prince of Erebor.”

 Thorin stiffened, but waved for Dwalin to put down his axe and not maim the bowman leaning in the doorway. “What makes you say that, Bard?”

 “Son said your friends were interested in the dragon. So I had a look at the old tapestries. Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, the last King Under the Mountain,” Bard said darkly.

 “Going to report us, then?” Dwalin asked. “We’re doing nothing wrong.”

 “You go in that mountain, and my town is ash,” Bard said. “That’s plenty wrong.”

 “We have no intention of provoking the dragon,” Thorin said coolly, pouring water over the metal arrows.

 “Then what are those for?”

 “In case our intentions don’t work out,” Thorin said. “Do you think me a fool, Bard of Laketown? I would not challenge a dragon with a mere sixteen.”

 “Not even for the mountain?” Bard asked shrewdly. “You cannot tell me a dwarf would pass up the chance to reclaim the home of his ancestors.”

 “Aye, and I will have that chance, but not now,” Thorin said. “Again, sixteen against a dragon. It would be foolhardy at best.”

 “And if I say you’re the right fools?” Bard asked.

 “Would _you_ be believed?” Dwalin asked. “And if you were, who’s to say the promise of gold wouldn’t sway the person with the real power in this town?”

 Bard’s face darkened, “So this is about the treasure.”

 “Bard, I swear to you I will not enter that mountain unless I am given no other choice,” Thorin said. “I never had the intention to.”

 No, he was sending Bilbo in, which frankly was much less appealing but if the wizard was right and Smaug didn’t know the scent of hobbits, probably safer. It had better be safer, anyway. And when they got the Arkenstone they could finally get the support they really needed to end the beast once and for all.

 Bard frowned, “You think you will not wake the dragon?”

 They didn’t intend to. It would make getting the Arkenstone much harder, for one.

 Thorin shook his head, “I give you my word I will not let Laketown burn if I have any say in it.”

 “That’s the problem, Thorin Oakenshield. I doubt you will,” Bard replied.

 “Well you can’t keep us here. There’s orcs after the treasure too, and they’ll be this way soon enough,” Dwalin said. “Better to have them avoid your town and chase us, don’t you think?”

 “You seem to be a right herald of calamity, you know that?” Bard huffed.

 “I’ve noticed,” Thorin said. “The lake will not burn, Bard. In all likelihood Smaug will never even know we were there.”

.o.o.o.

 “We should head up that way,” Nori said, pointing. “Best cover without being too hard a trek.”

 “The bowman knows,” Dwalin said.

 “Thought he might,” Nori chuckled. “What? He’s the only sharp tack I’ve seen in this place!”

 “So, what do you know about Bard, thief?” Dwalin asked.

 “Family’s disgraced because of Girion. But with what Tauriel said circling, well, the Master’s getting a mite ancy,” Nori said. “Three kids, dead wife. Youngest daughter likes putting flowers in peoples’ hair. Works as a guardsman but the Master knows a lot of people are loyal to Bard and not him, so he’s watched anyway.”

 “Loyal to Bard?” Dwalin asked.

 “Well, would you say this town’s being run well?” Nori asked. “It’s not even a shadow of Dale, Dwalin, it’s barely a shadow’s shadow! And Men have _pride_.”

 “But why Bard?” Dwalin pressed.

 “He helps people. He’s kind, if you can believe it with how grim he is. But then Thorin’s grim too and he’s a just ruler so there you go,” Nori said, inspecting a knife.

 “Give that back!” Dwalin snapped, taking it.

 “Need to be more careful, then,” Nori laughed. “But also, remember. Pride. Bard’s family were the lords of Dale a hundred and fifty years ago. Men may have short lives compared to us, but their memories can be just as long…”

 “They see Bard as a potential return to glory?”

 “Right. But they don’t see how so the support’s silent for now,” Nori said. “Something tells me if we took the dragon out of the picture, that might change…”

 “Plotting a coup, now?” Dwalin snorted. “Your past crimes not enough for you?”

 “I get a clean slate for this quest, in case you’ve forgotten,” Nori replied. “Besides, who would you rather be in charge of our neighbors? Bard, or the Master?”

 “…Figure out ways to make it happen. Then tell Thorin,” Dwalin said.

 “Naturally,” Nori laughed.

.o.o.o.

 “She’s just so…amazing,” Kili admitted with a dopey grin.

 “Why did I ever get you drunk?” Fili sighed. “If I wanted to hear someone wax poetic about a woman I’d ask Gloin about Marda.”

 “But she can shoot so well,” Kili sighed. “Do you…do you think she’d ever…you know…?”

 “How should I know?”

 “Come on, with all the girls after you back home? Or is it former home now? Ah, I don’t know,” Kili snickered. “Hey!”

 “You’ve had enough,” Legolas said, dumping the ale into the lake.

 “No! Fee! The fishes are gonna get my drink!” Kili whined.

 Fili sighed, “How much did you hear?”

 “Enough to confirm I’m not blind,” Legolas replied. “Kili. So, you like Tauriel?”

 The youngest prince nodded. Fili looked at the elf suspiciously.

 “Why?” Legolas asked.

 “She’s amazing and she can fight and she can shoot and she’s got the prettiest hair _ever_ and she’s so clever and gorgeous…”

 “All right then,” Legolas said, snatching Kili’s attempt at a refilled cup away and drinking it himself.

 “All right then?” Fili echoed.

 “Seems to be for the right reasons. He hurts her and I cut one of his hands off,” Legolas added.

 “I’d never! And _hey_ , then I couldn’t use a bow!” Kili whined.

 “Exactly,” Legolas said.

 “Right, do you think he has a chance?” Fili asked.

 Legolas shrugged, “He’s gotten more than any other suitor I’ve seen. By which I mean the time of day, but still.”

 “Ah. Keep it a secret, though. Uncle might not mind you two on this quest, but an elf in the family might be a bit much.”

 “Hypocrite. We can _all_ see how he likes the hobbit,” Legolas said. “This is good. Give me another.”

 “Ooh, Fee, we might see a drunk elf!”

 “Not likely. I’ve been drinking for longer than you’ve been alive,” Legolas laughed.

 “Please. You’ve been drinking elven wine. This is ale!” Fili replied.

 “Oh, so you are drunk too,” the elf snorted. “Great. I get to haul the princes of Erebor back to our lodgings while they’re three sheets to the wind.”

 “Could get Tauriel to help. But she’s so perfect, so she shouldn’t have to. She’s like…starlight, all perfect and far away,” Kili sighed dreamily.

 “Pray tell, how will you keep your uncle from knowing if he’s talking like that?” Legolas asked.

 “Easy. Have him drink himself unconscious first,” Fili said. “Bottoms up, pointy-ears!”


	11. Deadly Slopes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Company heads for Erebor, and into great danger.

 The mountainside was cold at night, winds whistling merrily about the rocks, heedless of the chill they carried.

 The company would not risk a fire so close to a dragon. Smaug likely knew of Laketown’s existence and ignored fires there, but a fire so close to his lair would probably be noticed.

 This made sleeping arrangements all the more important, as no one could be allowed to catch cold, not this close to their goal. So other than the watchers everyone simply huddled close together by some rocks in a convenient formation that Bofur had discovered while the others had stared in awe at Erebor’s peaks.

 “Still, with no fire—Dori, not so tight with that blanket!—how will we know if he orcs have found us?” Nori asked. “It’s a cloudy night.”

 Bilbo wriggled away from where he’d been pinned between Thorin and Balin to hand Sting to Bifur. “Leave that out. Glows blue when they’re around.”

 Bifur nodded and settled himself beside his fellow watchman, Legolas. Bilbo was promptly tugged back under the fur roll he was sharing with Thorin.

 “Stop letting out the warmth,” the king complained.

 Bilbo kicked him in annoyance. Thorin ignored it, perhaps not even feeling the blow to his shins though his boots.

 “What of the lass?” Bofur asked.

 As had occurred in Laketown before the discovery of a room with one bed, there was a long moment of awkward quiet. Tauriel simply huffed, grabbed her own blanket, and nudged her way into a space between Kili and Ori, “The lass is fine so long as she may sleep.”

 Fili ignored the look his brother gave him that clearly meant Kili believed himself to be the luckiest dwarf in all the world. “Just don’t kick me or her, Kee, you pain in the neck.”

 “Hey!” Kili hissed.

 “Rest,” Thorin ordered. “First light we move out.”

.o.o.o.

 Tauriel awoke to biting cold and and something moving at her left. She glanced over, hoping it wasn’t a threat—just Nori rolling Ori over next to Dori. Thank goodness.

 “Beg pardon,” Nori said. “My watch.” He tucked the blankets back around his brothers and Tauriel tried not to laugh as she recalled him calling Dori fussy with the quilts just hours earlier.

 “It works out well,” Legolas said, slipping into the vacant area and blowing on his hands. Bifur tossed the blonde a blanket and the prince covered up gratefully.

 “Should have worn your gloves. Ori knitted enough for all of us, even you odd-handed elves with your long fingers,” Nori scoffed as Bifur handed Sting over to Dwalin.

 Legolas shrugged sheepishly, and Tauriel supposed he’d completely forgotten the knitwear the youngest dwarf had happily handed out at their departure from the town.

 “Rest,” Dwalin added to the elves. “Tomorrow we seek the door and that will take all we have.”

 It was less a statement and more a command. They would give finding that door their all or Dwalin would have something to say about it. Bifur simply chuckled and settled between his cousins.

 “Of course,” Legolas said, shifting for a better position and tugging on his retrieved gloves, knitted in a merry green yarn. “Er…Tauriel?”

 “What?” she asked.

 Legolas nodded and she looked to her right. Kili’s head was resting on her shoulder. She tried not to grin at how rather fetching he looked asleep. “Oh, he did that before I nodded off. No harm, no foul.”

 “Good. I like him too much to threaten him over your virtue,” Legolas laughed, settling back down.

 Tauriel simply re-gathered her hair under her head as a pillow and and fell back asleep, ignoring the biting cold against her ears. She needed all the rest she could get.

.o.o.o.

 Breakfast was a frigid affair, with Bofur passing out dried meat and raw vegetables. Legolas personally found the peas and their pods to be quite good, but Ori seemed to disagree and nearly had his brothers shove them down his throat.

 “How shall we proceed then?” Balin asked as he helped Bofur and Gloin re-secure the blankets in their packs. “Thorin?”

 The king shook his head, having been staring off towards the gates of Erebor. “Up though Dale. Should we need to stop for any reason we would have shelter.”

 “A wise choice,” Bilbo said, handing Thorin back the king’s coat. Legolas hid a smile—the hobbit had been rather tangled in it upon waking. No wonder the betting pool involved such stakes as it did.

 The company arranged themselves and began down the ridge into the valley. Erebor loomed ahead, and while Legolas and Tauriel could just make out the details of the gates, they were certain none of the others could even see them yet.

 “The Desolation of Smaug. Dreadful,” Balin sighed as they neared the ruins at noon. The height of the sun only cast the destruction more starkly, with no long shadows to hide the crumbling walls and smashed towers.

 Legolas was inclined to agree. He remembered Dale vaguely, but it was hard to connect the bustling great city he recalled with these scattered hunks of stone and charred brick. It had been the greatest town of men in the north in its heyday, and was lain low by a single beast.

 A creature able to do that to two such kingdoms…well, Legolas knew why Gandalf would sanction a quest to eliminate it. Even in an age of peace such a threat could cats a great shadow over things.

 The prince frowned. ‘A shadow’ was also how Gandalf, his father, and others had described the odd darkness that has fallen over the Greenwood and changed it into what it was now. A strange coincidence that felt not-so coincidental at all.

 Fire Drakes from the north. Orcs moving into areas they’d previously left unthreatened. The Greenwood going dark…

 Was something starting to happen to all of Arda?

 Tauriel suddenly tackled Thorin and Kili as an arrow whizzed past them. Legolas turned and only just ducked a swing from the giant orc and his club.

 “Ambush!” Dwalin yelled as his axes met the hammer of another orc that appeared at the exit to the street they had been on, closing them off.

 A trap.

 Bofur swung his pick to back the giant up, giving Legolas space to draw his knives. The giant simply sent Bofur flying before charging Legolas, seeing the elf as a greater threat.

 “So this is where the river survivors went,” Nori hissed, cracking a warg across the face with his staff. “Knew we’d have to come this way!”

 “Knew we’d kill you here,” the giant corrected menacingly.

 Legolas answered by trying to stab him in the face, only for his own head to snap back hard from a punch. He stumbled and would have been warg-food if Gloin and Oin hadn’t forced it back. His head spun for what was likely far too long, leaving the two dwarves to fend for themselves against the great animal as Legolas tried desperately to see straight again.

 “We’re in too narrow a space here!” Kili complained.

 “We can’t move, make due,” his uncle ordered sharply before locking Orcrist against the giant’s club.

 Right. They wanted Thorin. Legolas drew his bow and took aim at the orc’s back, safe enough to shoot behind Oin and Gloin. As his vision finally cleared he pulled the string fully taunt-

 Another warg blindsided them from around the corner to the rear, sending his shot wide. It hit the orc Tauriel and Fili were handling, at least.

 The giant snarled as another arrow struck, this one in its knee.

 Legolas smirked as he stabbed the warg. Kili still had his uncle’s back, it seemed.

 The new warg howled in pain as Gloid gazed it, snapping at Legolas’ hands only for Dori’s sword to smash into its head. Legolas only just shut his eyes in time as blood splattered over his face as the beast’s skull caved in from the force of the blow.

 “Thank you,” he said.

 “Thank me after all this,” Dori snapped, rushing to help his brother whose staff had been seized in the mouth of their canine opponent. But Bilbo had already gotten over there and smacked—it wasn’t a slice, really, his form was still awful—the warg with Sting while Ori shot it in the eye with his slingshot. The warg’s yelps of pain inadvertently freed Nori’s staff and let the dwarf crack it across the face enough to stun it.

Bifur’s spear finished the job there.

 The next thing Legolas knew Kili was airborne and the elven prince was thrown backwards as his young friend was hurled into him. They both hit the wall with a crack, and Legolas thanked the Valar that he didn’t feel any ribs break as they were crushed between flung-dwarf and stone.

 Right. Giant wanted Thorin. Giant would remove anything between himself and Thorin, including an archer who was being distracting.

 “You okay?” Kili asked.

 “Fine. Let’s kill that thing before it kills your uncle,” Legolas said.

 Tauriel and Fili, done with their opponent, seemingly had the same notion and were moving towards the big orc when a cracking noise split the air.

 “Oh _hell_!” Kili swore. It was the last thing Legolas heard properly as a ruined brick wall collapsed on top of them.

.o.o.o.

 “Oh dear,” Bilbo said as the wall went down on half the company, including both elves, the Sons of Fundin, and the dwarven princes.

 “They set this up!” Nori complained. “Since when can orcs think that well?”

 “They’ve had the time,” Ori admitted shakily.

 Bilbo personally didn’t care for the strategic abilities of orcs. They had four dwarves and two elves under a load of bricks and with them out the fight was back on rather even ground for the orcs, especially Thorin’s opponent. “We have to do something about the big one! He’s the leader, after all!”

 “Well if you can get over there!” Nori complained.

 Bilbo could see his point. The three remaining orcs and one warg were keeping them pinned at the back of the alley to keep Thorin alone. “Bifur, could we bring down something on them?”

 The dwarf shrugged, parrying a blow from one orc and letting Nori take the opening.

 Bilbo’s hand went to his pocket. Surely this was life-threatening enough for Balin and Thorin’s standards, really, and he didn’t see any other options-

 Dwalin exploded out of the rubble with a roar, Fili at his heels. The warg actually turned around at the noise, giving Bilbo a chance to hamstring its hind legs so Gloin could finish it off.

 The giant backed up at seeing his new opponents.

 Bilbo smiled weakly. Finally something was going right for this fight…

 Tauriel and Legolas hauled themselves out of the brick piled, Balin right behind them. Tauriel looked at the field, back at the pile, and turned around, kicking bricks aside to look for Kili.

 Legolas joined her, and Bilbo realized he didn’t have his bow. Was it still in the pile too?

 The giant took off running as the rest of his allies fell.

 “Shoot him!” Thorin ordered, only to look and see all the archers either missing or occupied. “ _Kili_?”

 “Not dead!” Tauriel said. “He’s just unconscious. A few too many bricks to the head!”

 “Ah, head wounds,” Oin sighed, pulling out his medical supplies. “Anyone else?”

 “Does no one care that we have an enemy to pursue?” Thorin asked heatedly.

 “I don’t see any of us catching up with him,” Dwalin said grudgingly. “Unless the lass thinks she can get close enough for a shot?”

 “Given his resistance to arrows, I’m not sure what it would do, but I could try,” Tauriel admitted, getting her bow back out.

 “Well, _try_ ,” Thorin said testily. “If he gets back to Azog-”

 “For all we know he’s lain traps along his escape route,” Balin noted. “Can we risk that? Is one orc worth it?”

 Thorin seemed to deflate slightly, “No. His party is gone and he is alone. With any luck he won’t even get to the lake alive.”

 “Thorin,” Bilbo said quietly, hand reaching slightly for the king.

 “Nori, Dwalin, and Bofur! Search around. Look for somewhere we can rest!” Thorin ordered. “Somewhere safe! Fili, help the elf find his bow. Oin, Tauriel, tend to Kili. The rest of you, keep your eyes peeled!”

 “Of course we will,” Gloin said.

 “You’re bleeding!” Ori cried, pointing to the red-haired dwarf’s coat.

 “It’s nothing!” Gloin protested.

 “Gloin if we are to stay put you will confess your injuries!” Thorin snapped. “Anyone else, as Oin asked?”

 “Scraped wrists. Nothing really,” Bilbo admitted quickly.

 “Bruised,” Fili said as he and Legolas shoved more bricks aside.

 “Same,” the blond elf said.

 “Then rest. The orcs hoped to kill us here and did not succeed. By the time the giant has any reinforcements we shall be at Erebor,” Thorin said quietly. “At which point orcs will not have claim on our greatest worries.”

 Bilbo swallowed. Thorin had a point. Even if this had been bad…the worst was still yet to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here was Bolg's plan in four parts. 1: Pick a confined space to ambush them in so they can't maneuver and their archers will have trouble. 2: Pick a space where Bolg's orcs can bring a wall or two down easily to even out the numbers, as Bolg started with less than the company had. 3: Use the wargs to corral everyone who is not Thorin Oakenshield. 4: Kill Thorin Oakenshield. As you can see, he managed except for part 4, and really didn't plan beyond that (still pretty in-depth for an orc, as seen in his knowing not to go after them at Beorn's ad his infiltration of Laketown from canon)


	12. Under the Stars

 The roof they had taken shelter on was sturdy. The building below was seemingly untouched from the dragon’s wrath beyond scorched stone, and stone did not crumble and burn as wood did.

 Thorin’s hand curled into a fist. Kili had not yet woken up, though Oin had every hope for his recovery being a quick one. Fili, Legolas, Balin, Dwalin, and Tauriel were also all coated in bruises from the fallen wall, and Gloin had been stabbed far too close to a lung for comfort.

 And yet as he had reminded them all, far worse lay ahead of them.

 “Thorin, why are you still up?”

 Bilbo approached him, rubbing at his eyes, “Nori and Dori are patrolling. You should rest.”

 “No. Not knowing we are still hunted,” Thorin said firmly.

 “Well it won’t do you any good against those hunters if you’re exhausted,” Bilbo replied, reasonable as ever. “Would talking about it help?”

 “Mr. Baggins, you already know all there is about it. I thought Azog was dead, it turned out he is both alive and behind a bounty on my head. That is all there is to it.”

 “If that was all it was you’d be sleeping and dreaming about finishing him off, then,” Bilbo said. “Thorin. What’s wrong?”

 “Just recalling how amazing it is we have gotten this far against so much when we are still likely to fail,” Thorin said. “Sixteen against a dragon is foolhardy, Bilbo Baggins.”

 “Well, yes, but sixteen is better than thirteen, don’t you think?”

 “I _am_ grateful you are here, Bilbo. I will even extend some gratitude to the elves, as they pull their weight and seem disinclined to betrayal, despite Legolas’ heritage-”

 “Can we not talk about your issues with the Elvenking? If that was what was keeping you awake then you wouldn’t have slept at all after Mirkwood.”

 Bilbo could sometimes be far too clever for comfort. “Aye, but the Elvenking is a reminder about the obstacles we face. Even if we succeed it would take a long time for our people to return to Erebor. We would be vulnerable.”

 “Thorin, do me a favor: focus on the damned _dragon_ ,” Bilbo sighed. “Until we know what we’re doing with Smaug I don’t even really see a point in considering other potential problems that might come after.”

 “You know I’m sending you in alone against a dragon.” It made his gut twinge just thinking about it. He was the king of the dwarves and the leader of the company, and yet he was not the one who would be facing a _dragon_ and doing it _alone._

 “A dragon who if we’re lucky will be sleeping on his ill-gotten gold and not notice me.”

 Thorin smiled grimly at the bravado, false as it was. “Aye, but it’s a cruel thing I will order nonetheless.”

 “Smaug knows the scent of dwarves and likely the scent of elves. Hobbits are unknown to him, Gandalf was right there.”

 “That does not mean I have to like it, Bilbo.”

 “Well I’m not over-fond of it either, but I can see the logic in it,” Bilbo replied smartly. He rubbed his hands—clad in merry red mittens from Ori—together against the wind. “Cold night.”

 “Agreed,” Thorin said. His coat was thicker than Bilbo’s too, so the hobbit hat to be far chillier, especially with his feet bare as they were. “What do hobbits do when it snows in the Shire?”

 “Well, it doesn’t. Not often,” Bilbo said. “And we can handle light snow just fine, out feet are quite sturdy.”

 “Interesting,” Thorin said. “You did not mind the rocks of the Misty Mountains either.”

 “They weren’t too bad when not in the midst of a thunder battle,” Bilbo admitted. He leaned back on his elbows and looked up at the star-speckled sky. “What’s the first thing you want to do when you reclaim Erebor?”

 “What do you mean?”

 “Well, I know if I was going to be in Bag End tomorrow I’d light a fire and curl up with my books. What might you do?”

 “I doubt Erebor is in a state anywhere near as good as your hobbit hole,” Thorin said.

 “Point taken,” Bilbo said. “But if it was?”

 “The forges, most likely. The throne…the throne would wait for a day or so and something tells me the reclamation of my home would be so exhausting I’d favor a relaxing time in the forges above it.”

 “Do you enjoy smithing so?”

 “Many dwarfs do, even the ones without much talent for it,” Thorin said. “It is our link to Mahal, after all.”

 Bilbo hummed and nodded, “You were a smith before this quest too, right?”

 Thorin shrugged, “Yes. Though working in the towns of men could be quite frustrating—most of them have no notion of craftsmanship or proper metalwork.”

 “Well I won’t pretend I do either but I’m sure you showed them up quite nicely,” Bilbo laughed.

 Thorin smiled at the sound of that laugher. “Bilbo, I’m glad you are on this quest, even if it means I must shove you at a dragon.”

 “Thorin, you’re not shoving me, I’m perfectly fine with it. The great lizard won’t even know I’m there!”

_Great lizard_? Thorin started laughing too.

.o.o.o.

 “You think the stars are molten mithril?”

 “Kili!” Fili cheered, rushing to his brother’s side.

 “Well, do you?” Kili asked, his words slurring. He went to sit up, the blankets they’d wrapped him in shifting, and Fili helped him manage it without falling over to one side.

 “They can be dragonfire for all I care!” Fili laughed as Tauriel passed him some water. “Here, drink, you’ve been our for hours!”

 “Hours…what?” Kili asked, blinking. “Where are we?”

 “You don’t know?” Fili asked, worried.

 “He took quite a hit to the head. He doesn’t seem fully awake yet,” Tauriel said, peering at Kili’s eyes. “Should I go get Oin?”

 “Let him rest, I trust your judgment,” Fili said.

 “Yeah, trust the pretty elf,” Kili said, grinning at Tauriel. “Wait, Fee, why do we have a pretty elf? Uncle’s going to kill us, but Mahal she’s _gorgeous_.”

 Fili’s brow rose as the lass blushed slightly. It may have been dark, but he was a dwarf and it was easy to see. So Legolas hasn’t been wrong, Kili might have a chance there…or Tauriel was flattered by anyone punch-drunk suddenly complimenting her, but what were the odds of that?

 “The pretty elf would like you to try and sit up, Kili,” Tauriel said indulgently.

 “Fee, she knows my name!” Kili gushed. He went to sit only to slip. Fili caught him.

 “Easy, little brother. You’re quite out of it, it seems.”

 “I’m not out of anything!” Kili complained. “I’m fine…”

 His eyes suddenly widened, “Oh _Mahal_ what did I just say? I know I was talking but I don’t remember it! Fee, tell me I didn’t act like an idiot!”

 “ _Now_ he’s fully awake,” Tauriel said, taking Kili’s chin in one hand to check his eyes once more.

 “You asked if the stars were molten mithril and flirted with Tauriel,” Fili informed him.

 “Oh! Well…aren’t I foolish when concussed?” Kili asked, blushing.

 Fili shook his head. Adorably insufferable, the both of them. “I’m going to tell Uncle he’s up. Tauriel, keep an eye on him, will you?”

.o.o.o.

 “So…molten mithril?” Tauriel prompted, grinning.

 “Well, they shine like mithril, you know,” Kili said. “I’ve only seen a bit of mithril in my life, mind, but you don’t forget it…I like the stars, okay?”

 Tauriel smiled. So this was the dwarf who found her so charming? “I like the stars too.”

 “Oh, right, you mentioned that in the cells! When I was in a cell. You weren’t in a cell. That would have made things a bit harder, wouldn’t it?” Kili babbled.

 “Indeed,” Tauriel said. “Runestone still safe?”

 “Yep. I think I’m taking better care of mine than Fili. His is already covered in scratches, you know.”

 “Well, then your mother will likely have to scold him,” Tauriel chuckled. Kili was really such a sweetheart.

 It probably wasn’t the best idea, falling for a dwarf, especially a dwarf of Erebor. Still, he had a certain charm to him…

 “Kili!”

 Tauriel sat a bit straighter as Thorin hurried over to embrace his nephew. Best not to let the king know her thoughts. The Elvenking had been bad enough when he thought Legolas had wanted to court her, for whatever reason he thought that.

 “He’ll be right as rain soon!” Fili said proudly. “You can’t keep the line of Durin down, can you, Uncle?”

 “Indeed not,” Thorin chuckled softly. “Kili, are you well?”

 “I feel like I went a few rounds with Dwalin, but otherwise, yeah,” Kili said, shrugging.

 “He babbled when first he woke up. Didn’t even know who poor Tauriel was, the sod,” Fili teased.

 Tauriel snickered as the king managed to cuff his heir without releasing Kili from his hold. Fili sulked and rubbed his head.

 “When do we expect to set out?” she asked.

 “Tomorrow, noon,” Thorin said. “After everyone has had their proper rest and Oin doesn’t think Gloin will fall over.”

 “I doubt even a missing leg would stop our red-bearded friend for long,” Tauriel noted.

 “Ah, so it is a redhead trait!” Fili declared, nodding at her own locks.

 “I think they are certainly the fiercest fighters when irked, at least,” Thorin agreed, stroking his beard. “She certainly did more against that orc than you. You’ll be training more, Fili, you’ve slipped.”

 “Uncle!” Fili gasped. Kili laughed at his brother.

.o.o.o.

 “Lay back down, Gloin,” Legolas said tiredly. “Your brother’s orders. _Honestly_.”

 “Stubborn to a fault, that one,” Bofur said. “If it weren’t for me own dear brother I’d a assume it of all redheads. Him, his wife, his son, Tauriel…”

 “Bombur has a very nice temperament,” Legolas agreed as he helped Bifur glare Gloin back down. “Really, you did more than your share today, why not take rest while you can?”

 “I am not injured!” Gloin complained. “It was but a scratch!”

 “A scratch in an area that bleeds easily and quickly,” Legolas noted as Bifur wagged a finger.

 “Really, Gloin, how will anyone ever get Gimli to listen to a healer if this is his example?” Bofur asked.

 Legolas grinned weakly. What a ploy. Gloin loved to talk about his son, and would likely hold still to do it.

 “My Gimli would know when he is injured and when he is not, like his father before him!”

 “Aye, stubborn like his father before him,” Balin muttered from where he was trying to sleep.

 “And loud,” Ori complained. “Master Gloin, please, I’d like to rest!”

 “You mentioned he mastered the axe at a young age?” Legolas prompted.

 “Ah, yes!” Gloin said, his volume a bit more reasonable. “He was barely sixty-five, he was!”

 “Impressive,” Legolas said. That was about a year before a dwarf was of age, if Kili and Fili’s boasting was to be believed.

 “Aye, and he’s stronger than either of the princes,” Bofur admitted. “Just as much a menace, though.”

 “My son is no menace!”

 “The training fields said otherwise,” Bofur teased. Bifur punched his cousin’s shoulder.”Ow! Hey, it’s true!”

 “You don’t need to goad him, though,” Legolas noted. “I’m sure Gimli is a fine person, Gloin.”

 “Don’t you go all silver-tongued on me, elf!” Gloin said warningly.

 “I am not. My only knowledge of him is from what I have been told and that sounds complimentary,” Legolas said. “Hence my opinion of him is a good one.”

 “Ooh, a hard one to argue with, this elf,” Bofur said, stroking his mustache. “His kind countenance hides a cunning side…”

 “I do not know what you mean,” Legolas said, confused. “I might not be as plainspoken as Lagoron, but neither am I as diplomatic as Aenor.”

 “Between the two extremes, then?” Bofur asked. “Good place to be.”

 “I suppose.” Legolas agreed after a moment. “It works for me, at least.”

 “Being plainspoken has its merits, though,” Gloin said. “Makes you more trustworthy, at least.”

 “Trustworthy to speak your mind yes, to keep a secret, no,” Legolas said.

 “Bah, secrets,” Gloin said. “Go converse with Nori if you want _secrets_.”

 “If I am not mistaken, dwarves are quiet secretive by nature,” Legolas noted. “Language, culture, and other such things.”

 “Well…that is different,” Gloin blustered.

 “No, no, the elf has us there,” Bofur said.

 “The elf has you where?”

 “Thorin!” Bofur said, grinning weakly as their leader glowered at them. “Oh, just getting Gloin to trip over his own argument. Fun to watch. How’s Kili?”

 The king’s face softened slightly, “He will be fine. He’s awake.”

 “Should we wake up Oin?”  Legolas asked.

 “I think Fili, Tauriel, and Bilbo have things well in hand,” Thorin said. “Any news?”

 “Nori thinks the giant is long gone,” Legolas said. “But we are all wondering why the white orc has not shown up himself, if he is the one who has orchestrated all of this.”

 “A troubling thought,” Thorin agreed. “However we have no indication Azog is even on this side of Mirkwood as we did not even see him at the river.”

 “But if he’s not…why not?” Gloin wondered.

 “We should not waste too much energy worrying if we have no way to know,” Thorin sighed. “We shall be more watchful for trouble as we approach the gates, but we can do no more.”

 “Well, if Kili’s back to normal, he and Fili and Legolas will likely go scouting ahead of us again,” Bofur said. “So what more should we do?”

 “Send Nori and Tauriel with them in shifts. Have two or three of the five scouting at all times,” Thorin replied. “And have everyone be on their guard.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we get our last be it downtime, for next time we shall reach Erebor and have the frenzied hunt for the door as Durin's day approaches!  
> And no, I couldn't resisting having my dazed Kili give his own version of the now famous delirious Kili speech from canon, though this time he's merely a bit punch drunk and snaps out of it.


	13. Erebor

 “So what are we looking for?” Tauriel asked.

 “Just the gates for now,” Nori said. “Once we get close enough to those we’ll turn and head up the mountainside.”

 “I’ve never seen the gates before,” Kili said, excited.

 “Well they won’t be too much further. Dale was built quite close,” Nori said.

 “So, Master Nori, what was Erebor like?” Kili asked.

 Nori shrugged. “I was a child then. I just recall it being large and grand.”

 “That’s how my mother usually described it,” Kili agreed. 

 “Those…are words I would use right now,” Tauriel said, pausing near the top of the slope.

 Nori and Kili rushed forward, stopping in their tracks a few strides ahead of the elf.

 “Wow,” Kili breathed. “It’s…that’s _amazing_.”

 “Would’ve taken years, even for a team of masters, to make those statues,” Nori said.

 “And a dragon seconds to behead one,” Kili muttered bitterly before his grin came back, bright as ever. “We did it. We’re here!”

 “They _are_ incredible,” Tauriel said. “Both must be over a hundred feet tall!”

 “Go get the others,” Nori told her. “They’ll want a look before we turn.”

 Tauriel nodded, jogging off.

 Kili frowned, “I just thought of something. How do we stop Tauriel and Legolas from knowing about the door?”

 “It’s in their contract not to reveal how we plan on getting into the mountain,” Nori replied. “Door only has one key, anyway. If it’s really a risk to security, Thorin could just melt down the key.”

 “Ah. I thought we had to, you know, keep it a secret,” Kili said.

 “Well, they had to know we wouldn’t just walk through the front gates,” Nori said. “That’d be absurd. Far too easy for the wyrm to roast us.”

 “So…Bilbo’s just to go in and get the Arkenstone, then?” Kili wondered aloud. “Seems so easy when we say it, but…”

 “It won’t be that easy. Dragons hoard things in great piles,” Nori said. “Could take Bilbo a long time just to find it and that’s if Thorin and Balin have been descriptive enough.”

 “Well…why Bilbo, I guess?” Kili asked. “You’re good at that kind of thing.”

 “Wizard said dragons don’t know the scent of hobbits,” Nori replied. “If it wasn’t for that, I’d have been _much_ more insulted at not being the burglar.”

 “Nori son of Ri, you are a very strange dwarf,” Kili chuckled as the others approached. He grinned as his brother’s jaw went slack. “I know, it’s amazing, isn’t it?”

 Fili could only nod, Thorin rolling his eyes and reaching over to shut his heir’s mouth with a small smile.

 “Those statues are quite grand,” Bilbo agreed. “I can see some of the detailing from here, but up close…”

 “Up close they are even more marvelous,” Balin said.

 “So where is the door?” Dwalin asked Thorin.

 Sure enough, Tauriel and Legolas looked confused. Kili quickly signaled that he would explain later as Thorin withdrew the map, battered and with its ink slightly run from the river that seemed so long ago.

 “Up the left side form where we stand,” Thorin said. “So if you all are done gawking, we must proceed.”

.o.o.o.

 The sides of the Lonely Mountain were steep and jagged. Dwalin found it mildly amusing to see the previously-eternally-surefooted elves so wary of their steps, and said as much. “Not used to mountains, then?”

 “Only the Misty Mountains,” Legolas replied. “And then I usually have a mount.”

 “I am not used to them at all,” Tauriel added. She’d already had one bit of rock slip from under her, and only Kili and Bifur’s reflexes had saved her from a tumble backwards into Dori and Gloin.

 “So we know exactly where on the left side we are going, Uncle?” Fili asked.

 “No. We shall have to search,” Thorin replied.

 “I do wish Gandalf would hurry up. I’m getting quite worried about him,” Bilbo sighed.

 “He’s a wizard,” Dwalin grunted. If anyone was qualified to look after themselves, it was a wizard. Though admittedly, having Gandalf to _help_ with the damn dragon would have been nice.

 “If the passage we seek leads to the lowers halls,” Balin mused. “Then it would put its height at approximately a third to halfway up the mountain.”

 “So it would need to have a ledge at that height with some form of access,” Thorin agreed.

 “Would the door itself be visible?” Legolas asked, peering at the mountain.

 “Nay. It’s how it’s a secret,” Dwalin said. “But keep yer eyes peeled for any thrush.”

 “Thrush?” Tauriel asked.

 “Part of the way to find the door. ‘By the gray stone where the thrush knocks’ you see,” Fili said.

 “You know when I think about it, that sounds like a strange way of marking a door. Are the thrush trained somehow?” Bilbo wondered.

 “I know thrush often eat snails by cracking them against rocks,” Legolas said. “Perhaps that?”

 “Snails and other bugs might be the only things that managed to eke out a living around a dragon,” Fili noted.

 “Well, they certainly wouldn’t make a meal for him,” Kili snickered.

 “At least we know why a thrush might be knocking now,” Bilbo said, smiling. His grin dropped at Thorin’s grim look. “Thorin, we have days until the right time, please try not to be so sure we won’t find it.”

 “We shall fine it, Bilbo Baggins,” Thorin said. “That I know.”

 “All right then,” Dwalin said, scanning the company. “Who’s up for mountain climbing?”

 This time it wasn’t just the elves who looked nervous.

.o.o.o.

 “Thought you elves didn’t mind being so high off the ground!” Gloin teased.

 “In _trees_ Master Gloin, not on narrow steps sticking out off a mountain with naught but air on the other side!” Tauriel hissed through gritted teeth.

 “I’m with the elf!” Dori muttered, pressed as hard against the mountainside as Tauriel.

 “Bah! You’d never have made a good miner, Dori!” Gloin laughed. “This is nothing compared to dark cavern ledges!”

 “I shall take that as a compliment on my sanity!” the fussy dwarf replied angrily.

.o.o.o.

 “Is it bad to hope this isn’t the ledge?” Ori asked as Kili helped pull him up the final step.

 “I was honestly just hoping those were not the stairs and we’d somehow missed the right ones,” Bilbo huffed.

 “Careful, this doesn’t look too stable,” Kili warned. “All right, let’s see if there’s anything behind this wall or if we just climbed broken, nasty steps for nothing!”

 Bilbo managed to get his balance first and started to rap along the wall. “You dwarves will have to tell me the difference between solid stone and hollow stone, I’m afraid.”

 “Sounds solid to me,” Kili sighed. “Ori?”

 “More solid than what we climbed up on,” the young scribe sighed. “So now we have to climb down it again.”

 “…Anyone got any rope?” Kili groaned.

.o.o.o.

 “Good news, I think I’ve found stairs to the right ledge!”  Nori said brightly as the group reconvened after yet another day of searching.

 “And the bad news, thief?” Dwalin grumbled.

 “I think they were designed by a sadist,” Nori replied.

 “Then they are in good repair?” Thorin asked. “To where you can see how they were made?”

 “Right. Instead of being cut out from the mountain, the area above and below the steps as been cut in. Really sturdy but…well, the design might make this tricky.”

 “What do you mean?” Thorin asked.

 Nori grabbed a stick and started drawing in the dirt.

 “Those look less like stairs and more like alternating shapes carves into the mountain,” Fili said. “Are you sure?”

 “Well, they’re stair-sized,” Nori said.

 “So the trick would be to get to the top of one and jump over to the jutting out part of the next,” Legolas mused.

 “We’re going to need rope,” Thorin decided. “And Bofur’s pick. And I hope some of you brought smaller picks as well.”

 “Oh dear,” Bilbo muttered, looking at the supposed design of the stairs. “That looks simply dreadful.”

.o.o.o.

 It was quite dreadfully slow going. Bilbo, Ori, and Tauriel all were constantly losing their footing, and both elves had precarious balance at best due to the design of the stairs requiring that they duck while climbing.

 “Are we there yet?” Ori sighed.

 “About halfway,” Balin said.

 “Oh dear,” Bilbo muttered as Thorin and Dwalin pulled him up a step that has required a bit much of a jump to reach.

 “No wonder this door’s a secret! Who’d want to regularly use these stairs!” Kili laughed.

 “I think most would assume they were just an artistic carving in the cliff side,” Nori huffed as he and Dori reached the next gap. “Good thing we started so early in the day. We might just reach that ledge by dark…”

 “Please let it be the right ledge,” Fili added. “Please…”

 It was actually two ledges, a large one with a thin path to a smaller one. The majority of the company collapsed on the main ledge, allowing those who were not yet winded to trek on.

 “Could be here,” Dwalin mused. “Right height.”

 “Check the stone,’ Thorin ordered. He, Dwalin, Nori, and Bifur set to knocking.

 “Nothing,” Dwalin huffed. “Maybe further along?”

 “Footing gets a bit dicey there,” Nori warned.

 A tapping noise cut through the air.

 “Oh my goodness,” Balin said, joining them. “Stand  by the gray stone-”

 “-where the thrush knocks!” Thorin said, smiling at the bird. “Dwalin, Nori, directly across from that rock!”

 The two dwarves quickly hurried to that part of the rock face, and both gained identical grins as their own knocks on the wall echoed against something hollow.

 “We did it,” Thorin breathed.

 “Not yet, laddie. Where’s the keyhole?” Balin asked.

 “…Is it Durin’s day?” Thorin asked the group on the lower ledge.

 “Oh, dash it all,” Bilbo sighed. “I haven’t been keeping track of the days. Anyone?”

 “Ah…maybe?” Bombur offered. “I think it’s tomorrow, though.”

 “Let me see,” Ori said, digging out his log of the journey. “No, it’s today! Today!”

 “And it’s nearly sunset!” Fili cheered.

 “Thorin, the key!” Dwalin prompted. “Have it ready, we might only have moments!”

 “This sounds quite complicated for getting a door open, even a secret door,” Tauriel noted.

 “Dwarves love their secrets to stay secret, Tauriel, so I think some complexity must be called for,” Legolas said. “So the way shall be revealed at sunset?”

 “The map’s runes read that ‘the last light of the setting sun shall shine upon the keyhole’ so I’d wager a yes,” Bilbo replied.

 They waited in anticipatory silence as the sun dipped lower on the horizon. As the tense minutes wore on Bombur passed around some carrots and cram, but even the sound of eating did not prompt them to break the spell that had settled over the company.

 “There!” Bilbo cried suddenly, echoed instantly by Kili and the elves, their archers’ eyes trained on the same spot as the hobbit’s.

 “Thorin, now!” Balin prompted as the sun reflecting off the rocks just so revealed a perfect keyhole.

 His hand shaking ever so slightly, Thorin inserted the key and turned it.

 A great cracking noise was heard, followed by the sound of what seemed to be giant gears or pulleys shifting. The door slid away into the rock as though it had never been there, leaving a tunnel before them into the mountain.

 “Amazing,” Tauriel breathed.

 “It really is,” Kili said. “We’re really here!”

 Thorin and Balin stepped inside the tunnel, followed by Bilbo, Dwalin, and Nori.

 “I know this stone,” Thorin whispered. “This is…I remember it, Balin.”

 “I was a babe when Erebor fell and even I feel like I remember it,” Nori said reverently.

 “We’re home,” Balin said, smiling.

 “Home but for the small matter of the dragon,” Bilbo noted.

 Thorin shook himself, “Quite right. Bilbo Baggins, it is time you fulfilled your contractual duty to the company. Not that you have not, of course, gone above and beyond beforehand-”

 “It is just that this is what you hired me for,” Bilbo said calmly. “I get it, Thorin. You still do not like sending me in alone against a dragon. We’ve talked about this.”

 “You have?” Nori asked. At the perplexed looks from the king and hobbit, he shrugged, “It…didn’t seem like you had, is all.”

 “Remember, we just need the Arkenstone. Get it and we can head north to the Iron Hills and prove to Dain that he must aid us,” Thorin said.

 “It glows, lad. You can’t miss it, as there shouldn’t be too much light in there,” Dwalin noted.

 “Right,” Bilbo said. “Glows.”

 “It looks…many-colored, while still having a sort of pure whiteness as well,” Balin added. “If that helps.”

 “Anything would. I’m not exactly a gem aficionado,” Bilbo said.

 “It is like nothing else on this earth,” Thorin said simply. “You will know it when you see it.”

 “Are you sure you’ve had enough to eat?” Balin asked. “Wouldn’t want your stomach to wake the dragon.”

 “I’m quite fine, truly,” Bilbo said. “Well, off I go.”

 “Bilbo!” Thorin said quickly.

 The hobbit stopped and turned, waiting for the king to continue.

 “…Good luck, and be safe,” Thorin said tightly, before leaving the tunnel.

 “So close,” Nori sighed.

 “So close to what?” Bilbo asked.

 “Never you mind. Just the thief being a right meddler,” Dwalin grumbled. “But good luck all the same, Baggins.”

 “Come back or Thorin will sulk for ages!” Nori added.

 Balin shooed them both. “I could walk you partway, Bilbo.”

 “Thank you, that would be…yes, that would be good,” Bilbo said. “Other than the dragon, is there anything I should watch for? You know, signs the stone is weak in places or something?”

 “The treasure will all be in one great room,” Balin said as they descended. “So I doubt structural integrity will be much trouble to you. I’m just worried if the stone is _buried_ , lad.”

 “Well, if it’s as lovely as you say, wouldn’t the dragon want it somewhere he could gaze at it?” Bilbo asked.

 “You can hope,” Balin admitted. “I best go no further, lest he catch a whiff of dwarf. Good luck, my friend. We’re all waiting for you.”

 “More glad for that I could not be,” Bilbo said, and he headed on alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter contains one of my main fixes with the movie. We never see them camping out on the mountain at night, and only climbing the one set of stairs that was the right one, making it seem like they left the lake in the morning and got up to the door by sunset, even thought I think they really must have spent a day or two up there. Frankly, the whole thing was rushed, which is partly why I think they made up the moonlight twist for extra drama.  
> Here it takes them quite a few days to find the ledge. Also, as they came up through Dale, reaching Erebor itself was a two-day journey, when if you went directly between its gates and the lake I see it as taking only about twelve hours, though that would require a much more dangerous path. So, in a sense, that's how they did it so fast in the movie, because they were rushing.  
> Tho I was nice and decided they could reach the ledge on Durin's day and not have to camp there over night. Hard place to make camp, is all I'm saying.


	14. So Blind

 They sat in the cold night air for hours. Thorin had ordered all weapons checked and blades sharpened, but everyone knew it was as much a time-waster as a practical measure.

 “It’s been a while,” Kili noted nervously. “Should we…I don’t know, do something?”

 “Remember when we hired Bilbo?” Fili replied. “Gandalf said that if he said Bilbo could burgle the stone, the stone would be burgled. Or, you know, something to that effect. We just have to have faith in him.”

 “All will be well,” Tauriel said, nodding. The full moon had bleached her and Legolas’ skin an eerie white, but unlike the prince her red hair kept her from looking too ghostly. “All will be well.”

 “You saying that for us your yourself?” Nori asked as Ori glanced between his sketches in his log and the door.

 “Does it matter?” Tauriel asked.

 Nori glanced back at Thorin, who was staring down the tunnel, “He almost told our hobbit, you know. Before sending him off.”

 “But he didn’t?” Ori sighed.

 “Failed at the last second. Made me lose some faith in him, truly,” Nori mocked.

 “Don’t listen to him,” Dwalin grumbled, nudging the cunning dwarf over a bit for a seat. “Thorin was no closer to saying anything than he’s ever been. Won’t be until he thinks he’s secure in the mountain.”

 “He has to know Bilbo is not the sort to care about that,” Fili sighed.

 “Bilbo was never in this for wealth, after all,” Kili added.

 “The head often functions poorly when in love, and the heart does not know enough logic to properly replace it,” Legolas said. “Estel gets the same way around his love, the lady Arwen. Only, well, he has confessed by this point, but it took a long time. And Elrond’s sons tricking him into it.”

 “Well, of it goes on for too long Fee and I will trick Uncle into it!” Kili laughed.

 All of the sudden the mountain shook with a deep, echoing rumble.

 “Earthquake?” Gloin asked.

 “That…was a dragon,” Balin whispered.

 “He’s awake,” Thorin said weakly. “Smaug is awake.”

 “What do we do now?” Fili asked, wide-eyed.

 “Did you even have a _plan_ for him being awake?” Legolas asked slowly as he rose to his feet. The multiple winces among the older dwarves told him all he needed to know about that.

 Thorin frowned at Legolas before his eyes narrowed with a small smirk, “I have one now. Kili, Legolas, get to the front gates, on either side of them. It’s the only place that dragon can come out. Bofur you and Ori wait here. In case we need outside aid.”

 “While I appreciate your faith in our archery, these are not black arrows and neither of us has a crossbow, uncle!” Kili said. “And we don’t know where the missing scale is or if it’s even still there!”

 “Aim for his _eyes_ ,” Thorin said, heading for the tunnel first. “He won’t take off if he can’t see. I promised Bard no harm would come to Laketown if we could help it and I will keep that promise. Go!”

 As the archers secured ropes to get down the cliffs faster, Thorin turned to the others, “Get ready and then follow.”

 He ran down the tunnel into the darkness.

.o.o.o.

 “At least you’re more sure-footed than when we were running through Mirkwood,” Legolas said.

 “I’m a dwarf. This is stone. No trouble,” Kili replied. “You ever shot at a dragon before?”

 “I have not. I sincerely hope he does not blink,” Legolas admitted. “For with our luck his eyelids would be armored.”

 “With our luck his eyes secretly deflect arrows all on their own,” Kili replied. “Remember what you said? About the black arrow hitting?”

 “I do,” Legolas said. “After all, I have heard many stories of fire drakes from my father, and their armor can be quite strong. Smaug is particularly old and powerful. It would not surprise me. And my brother claims he saw something fall from the dragon that day, so perhaps one scale…”

 “But, I mean, would you _need_ a black arrow for the second shot?” Kili asked. “If the scale covering that spot’s already off? You know, if we get the chance?”

 “Probably, if only for the length of it,” Legolas said. “Our arrows are barely more than splinters to that beast.”

 “Well, a splinter to eye eye at high speeds should have some effect,” Kili sighed. “Here’s the gates.”

 “All right, you find a position here, I’ll find one over there,” Legolas said, hoping down into the valley between the peaks sorrowing the ancient entrance to Erebor.

 “Good luck,” Kili said. “Okay, Kili, you’re going to shoot a dragon in the eye, that’s not so bad, is it? Course not…”

.o.o.o.

 “He really didn’t like what I took. Hope it’s what you were looking for,” Bilbo hissed, his reproach clear.

 “The stone is worthless for that purpose with Smaug awake and us trapped,” Thorin sighed. He’d been a fool, but seeing the gold, seeing the inside of the mountain again… “We need to find a way out of here. I…I apologize for-”

 “I saw Ori and Balin still at the tunnel when Smaug chased the rest of us,” Dwalin said, reaching their hiding spot. “With any luck they had sense and ducked out to meet with Dori and Bofur at the door.”

 Tauriel, Bombur, and Bifur ran past them, Tauriel waving frantically when she saw their hiding place. The three followed, the floor shaking beneath them as a testament to how close Smaug was getting.

 “Do we even have a plan to get out alive?” the elf asked.

 “The forges,” Thorin said. “We can try that.”

 “It’s a _dragon_!” Tauriel said. “What good will heat and fire do you?”

 “No good, but quickly cooling liquid metal might trap him,” Thorin replied. “We just need the right location for the trap…”

.o.o.o.

 Kili licked his lips. Far on the other side of the canyon he could see a tiny speck of white and green that was Legolas, hunched on a small outcropping as he was, bow drawn and arrow ready.

 A pained roar came from the mountain but Kili didn’t dare move. Depending on how Smaug exited, he might only get a second to take his shot.

 The rumbles grew louder. Kili forced his eyes to stay open instead of squeeze shut in fear.

 A golden dragon burst from within the mountain, roaring in fury.

 Right as he drew level with the archers, Smaug’s eyes opened.

 Kili let his arrow go and heard a second whistling with it before Smaug screamed.

 Kili covered his ears, trying to slide further down the outcropping in case Smaug started to breathe fire, which the dragon did in very short order.

 Smaug spun in circles, fire shooting in all directions as flecks of liquid gold went flying from red scales. A large molten drop flew in an arc and struck Kili’s leg, burning him and causing him to tumble down the mountainside.

.o.o.o.

 “We have to move him _somehow_ ,” Tauriel said. “Legolas and Kili are in danger!”

 “It’s a dragon, lass, we’re all in danger!” Dwalin said.

 “What would lure him anywhere but back in here?” Bilbo wondered.

 Thorin frowned, “Elf, how far can you shoot with full longbow?”

 “Very far indeed, why?” Tauriel asked.

 “Find one!” Thorin ordered Bombur, Dwalin, and Nori. “The burglar said Smaug could seemingly sense when his treasure was disturbed. He might still be able to sense it without seeing.”

 “What do you mean?” Bilbo asked.

 “You said you had the Arkenstone,” Thorin said, grabbing the hobbit by the shoulders. “That’s the most valuable thing in this hall, not only in worth but in reverence. We’re going to shoot it past Smaug to make him _move_.”

 “Are you sure?” Fili asked. “I mean, uncle, you’ve talked of the Arkenstone-”

 “If it cannot be used to unite the armies to kill Smaug then it may as well be given some other use!” Throin said firmly.

 “Here!” Nori said, waving Tauriel over as he approached with a silver bow nearly taller than she was. “Probably one of Dale’s. String still good?”

 “Needs a bit of an adjustment,” she said, “One moment…I’ve trained with these before, but my aim won’t be the best…”

 “Sod aim, we need distance!” Fili said.

 A loud cry echoed through the canyon.

 “Legolas,” Bilbo said, eyes wide.

.o.o.o.

 Legolas slipped and fell down the rest of the slope. His hair was on fire, his clothes were on fire, it was all fire until his tumbling put it out and even then his left shoulder and side were in agony.

 He drew his right knife. It wouldn’t help much against a dragon, but it made him feel better to have it out.

 “Now what have we here?” Smaug mumbled, drawing closer. “I could have sworn I heard that scream before…is that you, Thranduil? I thought my burning off your face millennia ago would be enough of a deterrent for you trying this again!”

 So it _had_ been Smaug. Wonderful. Legolas would have applauded his own deductive skills if he hadn’t been spending all his energy trying to block out the pain and move.

 “Now where are you…?” Smaug mused. “Clever trick, but your arrows are dust to me. I will see again, little elf, and when I do-”

 Something whistled by his head. Legolas saw something glistening…a jewel on an arrow?

 Smaug sensed it too. “My Arkenstone!”

 The heart of the mountain? Why would it be on an arrow?

 Legolas got his answer as Smaug left him to chase after the stone. It looked like it had nearly reached the ruins of Dale, flying downhill as it was.

 He lay on the stones for a moment, trying to gather himself.

 “Come on, Legolas!” Gloin said, rushing up the mountain. “We have to get you inside before the lady skins us!”

 “I’m not so sure moving is the best idea right now,” Legolas said as Bofur and Dwalin forced him to his feet anyway.

 “Holding still will only get you roasted if Smaug finds his way back too easily,” Dwalin said. “That’s not too far a run for a dragon.”

 “We can only hope it is far enough for him to be slightly disoriented in his blindness,” Gloin agreed. “Come, Legolas, let them, yes, yes, quickly!”

 With the dwarrow’s help Legolas made his way down to the valley floor and was ushered inside the gates.

 “Looks like you got the worse of it,” Kili chuckled. The young dwarf’s hair was singed and he had some heat blisters, but other than some signs of a tumble he seemed fine at first glance, if a bit shaky.

 “Well, the dragon could have turned either way,” Legolas laughed.

 “Grand. Delirious from pain,” Oin muttered, checking the elf over after removing the mostly-intact if-scorched tunic and picking bits of charred shirt from smoking skin. “That’s going to scar…”

 “At least we know why my father feared Smaug,” Legolas chuckled.

 “With good reason, you both could have been killed!” Tauriel scolded, dropping to her knees to help Oin.

 “It’s a dragon, the fact that we’re all still alive is a miracle in itself,” Thorin said, nonetheless checking Kili over personally. “We _need_ a black arrow.”

 “I’ll go check the mountain,” Dwalin said.

 “At least we might have some crossbows-” Fili started.

 “All the ones I came across were broken,” Nori said, shaking his head.

 “There was one in Laketown,” Fili said. “We could ask for theirs?”

 “Smaug won’t be blind _long_ ,” Legolas said.

 “Don’t trust the dragon, he’s lied before,” Bilbo said quietly.

 “I’ll go. Warn Laketown, that is,” Tauriel said.

 “Take Bofur and Bifur with you. You two, get the crossbow  back up here,” Thorin said as Balin Bofur, Ori, and Dori at least reappeared.

 “Crossbow?” Bofur asked and Bifur began signing to fill him in.

 “And what am _I_ doing that impedes me form delivering the bow?” Tauriel asked.

 “Warning your people. Just in case,” Thorin said. “You heard him speak, Smaug thought the prince was the Elvenking. That could go very wrong for Mirkwood.”

 “Thank you for your foresight, King Under the Mountain,” Tauriel said, briefly bowing her head. “Come on, you two, we have Men and Elves to warn!”

 As the three raced off towards the lake, Oin glanced towards Dale. “We should move. No guarantee he won’t be back in a moment…”

 “Back to where the door was,” Thorin decided. “I will wait for those seeking weapons here.”

 “I don’t want either of these two climbing,” Oin said, nodding at Kili and Legolas.

 “I’m fine!” Kili protested. Legolas simply sulked as the dwarven healer continued prodding at his burns.

 “At least get well away from the gates,” Thorin sighed, waving them off. “Further in feels like asking for it, though…”

 A loud roar shook the mountain and a jet of flame went up by Dale.

 “Oh, he’s mad…” Fili said.

 “Mad but injured. He said he’d heal, maybe he’ll bide his time until it happens,” Bilbo said.

 “I thought you said not to trust the dragon?” Kili asked.

 “Well…it’s a fair point,” Bilbo sighed.

 “From me or the dragon?” Kili said.

 “Both!” Bilbo said, rubbing his temples.

 “Settle down, settle down,” Gloin said.

 “Further in a bit, but close to the tunnel,” Thorin decided. “From there Nori, Gloin, and Dwalin will look for more weapons and we shall rest. And plan.”

.o.o.o.

 “What?” Bard hissed. As the sun had risen the she-elf had returned with two dwarves, had docked the dwarves’ boat, and declared their intentions.

 Thorin had lied. They were all in danger now.

 “The crossbow. We will need it to kill the beast,” Bofur repeated. “And any Black Arrows if you have them.”

 “Smaug is currently crippled and trapped but we have no means of slaying him and no guarantee he will be that way long,” Tauriel added. “For your help.”

 A small sack of coins and jewels, likely pilfered from the mountain, was placed on the table.

 “Who would go, then?” the Master asked quickly, snatching it up.

 Bard stared at the dwarves in rage, but Bofur added quietly, for only him to hear, “You were right about your granddad. My cousin says one scale’s gone.”

 As the Men balked in the face of certain fire, Bard declared, “I’ll do it. After all, if my ancestor had _managed_ , we wouldn’t be in this situation. We have a Black Arrow holding up a roof beam.”

 “Bifur’s spear could do that just as well, right?” Bofur asked. After a quick signed conversation, Bofur grinned, “It could!”

 The Master was looking wary by then, but Tauriel spoke up, “It would do the dwarves’ opinion of Men well to see such an earnest act of redemption. And the same for my people’s opinion.”

 Bard swallowed. This was very, very bad.

.o.o.o.

 “Good luck,” Bofur told Tauriel.

 “Good luck yourselves,” she replied. “Is Bifur certain about this?”

 “Oh, he loves kids, and Bard’s right, we might want to be careful with them what with the political issues going on here,” Bofur said. “Ruddy politics. I’ll be happy to be back to my toy-making when this is over.”

 “I should like to see what this adventure has inspired you to create,” Tauriel said, finishing her message and tying it to an arrow.

 “Not in person, then?” Bard asked, getting the Black Arrow down with Bifur’s spear in its place.

 “I’d never get back in time. I’d get hauled off in chains for helping Legolas run like he has,” Tauriel replied. “This will do fine.”

 “Good speed, fair elf,” Bard said as he and Bofur took up the newly-removed crossbow.

 “To you as well,” she said, taking off.

.o.o.o.

 “I will not go in that room again.”

 Balin looked at his king who sat with Fili on one side and Bilbo on the other, all waiting outside the room Oin had claimed for the injured archers. “The ah, current treasure room, you mean?”

 Thorin nodded once, the gesture firm to the point of fervency.

 Balin wasn’t too sure what had happened, why Thorin and Bilbo had not come up the tunnel after the King has rushed inside ahead of the others, and instead the others had been forced to try and rescue them—save him and Dori, who had been in the back and cut off when the dragon got between their fellows and the door where Ori and Bofur had waited.

 “I was a fool,” Thorin sighed. “We would have escaped if not for me.”

 Balin raised a brow as Bilbo shifted a bit uncomfortably.

 “You were to find Bilbo and get out or signal us if there was trouble,” Balin said.

 “I did not allow it. I…went went mad merely at the sight of… _that_ ,” Thorin said, and a sweeping gesture was made to refer to the mounds of gold. “When he did not confirm the Arkenstone I blocked him and…”

 Balin’s blood ran cold. Gold-sickness, and so quickly…

 “I will not go in there again.” Thorin repeated. “At least not until we have thinned it out once the dragon is dead.”

 Balin silently watched his king’s hand find their hobbit’s.

 “I was a fool,” Thorin repeated, sending a pained glance to the door.

 Dwalin walked in, “Bofur and some men are coming up the mountain.”

 Thorin nodded, standing, “All of you rest now. We’ll be dealing with that dragon at dawn tomorrow.”

.o.o.o.

 “At least you’re taking this more gracefully than Kili did,” Oin offered.

 Legolas smiled slightly. The young dwarf had been a terrible patient to his elder, to the point where Oin had started cleaning Legolas’ wounds instead and acting like Kili wasn’t there.

 “Well, you should have treated him first anyway,” Kili huffed. “Ah…sorry about your hair?”

 “What about it?” Legolas asked. He knew it had caught fire, a bit, but turning his neck to try and look only sent spasms of pain across the burns on his back for the moment.

 “Well…the one side’s all crispy after a point…and the rest looks fine which makes it altogether look weird as hell,” Kili said.

 “Going to have to cut it. Ash in the burnt hair could affect the wound,” Oin said. “And washing it would just snap those strands anyway.”

 Legolas remembered that it had been a very long time indeed since he had last cut his hair. “About what length would it be, then?”

 Oin got a new rag, “Brushing your shoulders if you’re lucky. Or you could braid all of it to hide the shorter half.”

 “The elves of Mirkwood try to keep our hair as loose as we can,” Legolas explained. “So cutting it is.”

 “Well you’ll have to wait until I finish cleaning and bandaging you and have moved on to Kili,” Oin said.

.o.o.o.

 Tauriel ran as fast as she could. With any luck if she only fired her message, turned, and went back, she could make it to Laketown before the sun set.

 Assuming, of course, all went well and it was still there. And that she was not captured for assisting Legolas’ little escape.

 Assuming the others succeeded against the dragon and they wouldn’t all die in fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes. I just set Legolas on fire. Been planning that since the start, honest.  
> As to Smaug, I left out most of his scenes since they're the same was the movie anyway. No sense in repeating that.  
> As for the whole molten gold thing, I think it makes more sense to try and trap Smaug with it than kill him. you know, fire breathing dragon, after all.   
> Finally, Thorin and the Arkenstone. Canonically he wanted it for the dual reasons of it being a family heirloom and to unite the dwarven kingdoms and their armies to kill Smaug. With Smaug rampaging right there they can't use the stone for that, and with Kili in grave danger Thorin doesn't care much about the stone since he really hasn't had time to process. Right now killing the dragon is more important, essentially. I personally do not see the Arkenstone as magical in and of itself, it's got power because its coveted, but it's coveted because it has power, essentially. And Thorin is still very vulnerable to the goldsickness it's just, again, emergency time, so we're not seeing it.


	15. Ere Break of Day

The sky was just beginning to show signs of dawn approaching as the selected group made its way to the ruins of Dale.

Bofur and Nori were with Bard and they had the hardest job: to set up the crossbow. Nori would scout a place, Bofur would help attach it, and Bard would aim. Hopefully that would be enough.

Everyone else was simply to keep Smaug occupied if he was awake. The Laketown blacksmith, who went by Smith due to having what Bard admitted was an unfortunate actual name that no other man would say, had managed to grab some sturdier weapons for those who had none, and Dwalin had done the same from Erebor’s stores.

“The bare patch is on the left breast?” Bard asked Bilbo softly.

“Aye,” Bilbo said. “Quite blatant when he rises up, let me tell you.”

“Let us hope it will be so blatant should he decide to fly,” Thorin said grimly.

“With his eyes out?” Dori asked.

“You heard him talking to Legolas,” Thorin said. “He compared it to one of us getting a bit of dust in our eyes. He may yet still see.”

“Are the wide parts of his wings scaled, though?” Fili asked. “Could we not somehow damage them?”

“They looked pretty think to me,” Bilbo said. “And even if he doesn’t fly, he seemed to know how to use them to make great gusts of air, albeit going by his own description.”

“And getting close enough to do damage with something other than an arrow might not work out well for the person doing it,” Thorin added.

“But what about these?” Fili asked, pulling two of his throwing daggers.

“A good plan if it comes to it, nephew,” Thorin said, smiling grimly.

“What I want to know,” a man named Agrim said, “Is why the dragon did nothing for all of yesterday?”

“Licking his wounds likely,” Smith said.

“The wounds are on its _eyeballs_ ,” Dwalin noted. “Bit hard to lick that.”

“Biding his time then,” Smith replied.

“Possibly planning on what to do with _us_ ,” Bard said quietly. “He has to know we’d come after him.”

“His intelligence has failed before,” Bilbo noted. “Once we accidentally got him mad he went from analytical and composed to a mindless raging beast.”

“Might I ask how you got him mad?” Bard asked testily, glaring at Thorin.

“A miscalculation,” Bilbo said. “They went to check on me and I didn’t manage to warn them that Smaug was near the door and well, we all got trapped and Smaug got very displeased we were all in ‘his’ mountain-”

“The fault was mine,” Thorin interrupted. “I made a foolish mistake and did not realize I was blocking the door.”

An awkward silence settled. One of the men coughed loudly, “Begging your pardons, but what are the rest of us doing while those three get the wind-lance up?”

“We’re dragon bait,” Dwalin said conversationally. Balin gave his brother a half-hearted glare.

“If we use the stone structures strategically we can hopefully avoid being burnt to ash,” Thorin noted.

“Unless the dragon smashes it down on us,” Bard said.

“True,” Thorin admitted grudgingly.

.o.o.o.

They had reached Dale and surprisingly seen no sign of the dragon. Bofur, Nori, and Bard had slipped off with the crossbow to find somewhere stable to put it while the rest slipped away in twos and threes to hunt for Smaug.

“I’m not sure why we thought small groups were a good idea,” Bilbo whispered.

“Covers more ground,” Thorin replied, Orcrist’s hilt firmly held despite the sword still being in its sheath.

“Unless the dragon knows who to quietly kill folks,” Dwalin replied.

The three of them crept on, checking quickly around tall corners. There were only so many building still standing tall enough for Smaug to crouch behind, after all, so they were sure they’d see him soon.

Thorin stopped in his tracks, and Bilbo nearly ran into him.

“Thorin, what is it?”

Thorin nodded ahead of them. Bilbo and Dwalin froze as well.

There, glittering in the middle of an empty street, was the Arkenstone.

“He’d never just leave it,” Bilbo said. “But where could he be? I don’t think any of the building around here…he couldn’t hide behind them, and he’d never just leave it—Thorin!”

Dwalin heard the hissed exclamation and quickly seized the king, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’d rather it not get lost in the fighting,” Thorin said testily.

“Thorin, it has to be a trap. Smaug’s intelligent enough to make one-” Bilbo protested, but Thorin vut him off.

“You said so yourself, there’s no building large enough here for him to be behind!”

“Even still, is that stone worth your life if you’re wrong?” Bilbo asked, glaring.

Dwalin’s grip tightened on Thorin’s arm, signaling that he agreed with the hobbit.

Thorin simply pulled against Dwalin even more firmly.

Bilbo rolled his eyes, “If it’s that important to you, I’ll get it.”

“What?” Dwalin hissed. “You just said…Thorin, talk some sense into him, he’s willing enough to do it for you.”

“Smaug won’t see me, Dwalin, don’t worry,” Bilbo said calmly, putting his hand in his pocket and sliding on the ring.

“Mr. Baggins?” Dwalin asked, stunned as the hobbit disappeared. “Bilbo?”

“Shh!” Thorin hissed. “Bilbo, take _off_ that stupid-”

“Do you want the bloody stone or not?” Bilbo asked sharply.

Dwalin looked quite shocked at hearing the voice from thin air.

“I ordered you not to use that ring except for your own life!” Thorin hissed, managing to grab the invisible hobbit. “You swore it!”

“Well it’s the only way we will get that stone safely!” Bilbo replied, becoming visible again.

“If it is a trap, then Smaug is watching,” Thorin said.

“Which is _why_ I should be the one to get it!” Bilbo said.

“No. We need that dragon dead. We must spring the trap,” Thorin said. “You were right, Bilbo, I was being a fool, but-”

“You are being one now if you want to just walk into what must be into Smaug’s clawed clutches!” Dwalin argued.

“Dwalin, go find the group with the crossbow,” Thorin instructed. “Bilbo and I will stay here and watch the road.”

“You know as well as I that it’s so the hobbit can’t hold you back,” Dwalin snapped. “Thorin, I’m not letting you walk into the fire any more than you would let your grandfather!”

Thorin stilled.

“I think we _all_ need to walk away,” Bilbo said softly.

Footsteps came from behind them and all three turned to see Ori. The young dwarf was pale, “Dori, Smith, and I found a huge hole a few blocks down!”

“What?” Bilbo asked.

“There’s a tunnel,” Ori added. “We think he…we think the dragon is hiding underground.”

“…Do you think he knows about the wind lance, then?” Dwalin grumbled. He rubbed his temples, “I swear, this ruddy dragon…”

“Dwalin, _Thorin_!” Bilbo hissed. The guard winced as he realized he’d let go of the king.

“Oh dear,” Ori said as Thorin marched down the street, eyeing all around him. “That’s the…is the king…oh no…”

“Ori, Dwalin, get the others. Tell them Thorin decided to spring Smaug’s trap,” Bilbo groaned before quickly sliding on the ring and rushing after Thorin.

.o.o.o.

“Here we go,” Bofur said, carefully drilling into the tower. “Should do quite nicely.”

“You sure this thing is stable?” Bard asked, holding the crossbow steady.

“Certain. I’m a miner, you know, not just a toymaker,” Bofur said pleasantly. “Nori, spy anything yet?”

“Thorin…alone?” Nori said, alarmed. “And the…oh Mahal, the idiot.”

“What?” Bard asked sharply.

“The Arkenstone’s in the middle of a street and Thorin’s walking right towards it!” Nori hissed.

“He’s not looking at it, though,” Bard said. “he’s looking around…but for what?”

“Bard!” It was Smith, scrambling up the tower steps. “We found a hole! The dragon’s gone underground!”

“Does the King Under the Mountain know?” Bard asked.

“Oh, nuts, he’s trying to spring the dragon’s trap to get Smaug in the open, the sod!” Bofur groaned.

“Work faster!” Bard ordered. “Smith, hand me the black arrow!”

Right as Thorin drew up to the Arkenstone, one of the buildings on that street exploded as Smaug burst out of it.

“Aim!” Nori ordered.

“I can’t see, there’s dust and debris everywhere!” Bard argued. “We have to wait!”

.o.o.o.

A simple house. Smaug had tunneled under this street and made enough of a dugout to hide himself under a large house.

If it had been anyone other than the dragon who’d taken his home and so many of his people’s lives, Thorin would have praised the strategy.

He’d had the sense to duck as the dragon surged forward, keeping his head down. He managed to snag the stone and stuff it in his coat as he saw Smaug’s maw open, throat glowing-

Thorin was tackled to the side by an unseen presence.

“Run!”

It was Bilbo. He’d driven Bilbo to using the silly ring after all, and why? He’d known it was a trap, he knew he was walking towards his doom, but if it might let the others kill the dragon-

The invisible hobbit tugged at him. “I’m not leaving you, you idiot, so run!”

Thorin ran, pulling Bilbo behind him as they swung into an alley and then another, trying to keep as much sold rock between them and Smaug as they could.

“You…great…idiot,” Bilbo hissed. “Did you think no one would stop you?”

“We had to find the dragon,” Thorin protested as he heard the buildings behind them crushed under massive claws.

“No, Thorin, _you_ had to get that _stupid stone_!” Bilbo cried out. “I swear, when we are done running for our lives I should smack you!”

“This wasn’t about the Arkenstone!”

“Yes it was! If it _wasn’t_ then what _was_ it about, oh king?” Bilbo demanded.

And Thorin’s heart stopped because he realized his hobbit was right. Not matter how he had tried to justify it in his head, this was simply him trying to defend doing something stupid for a gemstone, as he’d sworn to himself he’d never do. As Smaug had known he would.

Mahal, even the dragon had known he really was just that weak…

“This way!”

Thorin’s head snapped up—it was Bombur, Balin, and many of the Men. Keeping Bilbo’s hand firmly in his he raced over, ducking into their stone shelter.

But Bilbo tugged his hand free and Thorin entered alone.

His heart seized up again—was Bilbo a fool? Why would he-

A visible hobbit slid into the shelter right behind Thorin.

Right. Bilbo didn’t lie people knowing about the ring—but then he’d used it in front of Dwalin when he thought Thorin had need the stone, why then?

“This way!” Agrim said, nodding to the other side. “We’ll slip out and get the dragon’s attention. The crossbow’s ready, maybe Bard can get him!”

“Right,” Thorin said. “Let’s go.”

.o.o.o.

Dwalin and Ori ran through the smoke looking for their brothers and their comrades.

“I can’t see anything!” Ori complained. “How will we even find the dragon, much less anyone else?”

“We don’t need to,” Dwalin said, catching the scribe’s shirt as Thorin and Bombur ran past the tower, a loud roar echoing behind them. “Come on, this way.”

“So if Smaug gets in front of it, Bard can shoot him, right?” ori asked.

“Right,” Dwalin said as the beast came into view. “Soot something past his head, distract him.”

“Right,” Ori said, pulling his slingshot taunt. The pebble grazed Smaug’s snout and landed to his left. “Can he even still see?”

“I don’t know,” Dwalin admitted as the dragon turned for an instant towards the noise, giving Bombur and Thorin a bit of a buffer.

But then Smaug stiffened and glared at the tower itself, some noise altering him to the crossbow.

“Bard, shoot!” Bilbo called form somewhere in the smoke as the dragon spun and the tower smashed down, the beast’s tail crushing its sides in.

“Well, there goes out chance to kill him easily,” Dwalin swore.

“Now what?” Ori asked.

“What else? We do it the hard way!” Dwalin bellowed, pulling out his axes and rushing down the road making a racket.

Smaug turned to blast him, only for Gloin and Fili to yell from his left. The dragon turned again and Ori shot another stone at his face. As long as Smaug was indecisive about his target, they might live through this.

.o.o.o.

Bard drifted back into consciousness. There was a lot of shouting and smoke, and something heavy was pressing down on him-

“Pull!”

He was dragged into light by Smith and Bofur. “The crossbow?”

“Smashed. Bastard must have heard us loading,” Nori groused, hauling himself out of the rocks.

“Now what?” Smith asked.

“Shooting him anyway,” Bard said, pulling out his bow.

“Where’s your quiver?” Smith asked.

Bard groaned and turned, “Still in there!” He dug at the rubble as the shouting moved closer.

“Bard!” Nori yelled. “Here!”

Something clattered to his feet. Arrows—metal arrows. And not the ones Thorin had forged in the town, no, this metal was like starlight…

“Nabbed ‘em in case any of you were archers!” Nori added.

“I need him upright,” Bard said, quickly readying his bow as the dragon came into view, caught between chasing two groups of people.

“Then you shall have it,” Thorin said, appearing next to him. The king’s hair was matted with dust and sweat, but he looked far surer than he had during their trip down to Dale.

Bard’s eyes widened as the dwarf king’s arm swung and Orcrist arced through the air, flung right at the dragon, its blade striking the thin skin-webbing of Smaug’s left wing.

Smaug howled in agony, rearing back, “Son of Thrain you shall DIE!”

“No,” Bard said simply, letting the arrow fly.

It was a bolt of starlight through the ashen air, springing from Bard’s bow into the dragon’s left breast with speed before unseen. The arrow buried itself in deeply and Smaug screamed his death-scream, fire spinning to the heavens from his maw as the light left his eyes at last.

Smaug’s body fell with a mighty crash, sending bricks from an old wall flying as they collided.

Bard sighed and sank to his knees, Nori and Smith only just steadying him before he fully collapsed.

Thorin set his shoulders and strode towards the dragon, despite Dwalin and Fili’s protests, inspecting it carefully. He turned back to Bard, smiling, “The dragon is dead, Bard of Dale.”

“Three cheers for Bard!” Smith shouted.

Bilbo laughed as everyone else cheered. “We did it!”

“So this is what slaying a dragon feels like,” Bard chuckled. “But now we must return to the town.”

“Bard, Erebor’s closer, and you need rest,” Agrim said. “If the dwarf and Smith let go you’ll be face down on the ground, my friend.”

“Laketown will have heard the roaring,” Bard insisted. “They must be assured that all is well.”

“I will go,” Smith said. “I did not get to do much here.”

“No…” Bard said. “My children…”

“If that is your worry, I shall go with Smith to help with them,” Bofur offered. “Not that my cousin will let anyway harm come to them, I assure you!”

“Bard, you’re bleeding, you fell off a collapsing tower, they _need_ to get you to Erebor for medical attention,” Smith said. “It’ll be _fine_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, on the plus side, Smaug's finally dead! On the minus, nearly everyone involved is at the very least exhausted and bruised, if not more seriously injured like Bard, Thorin is still having goldsickness issues, and Bilbo used the Ring again...  
> Also, Smaug's eyes weren't totally back to normal, if anyone's wondering, but he did have some vision back, just enough for his trap to work, but things were still very blurry and he was mostly relying on his senses of smell and hearing.  
> I had the crossbow destroyed because frankly I think it's far more badass to have Bard shoot Smaug with a normal bow, after all, he was Bard the Bowman in the books. That crossbow was personally my least favorite thing in the second film, so I had it come to nothing as my own personal revenge.


	16. Back at the Lake

Sigrid washed the dishes thoroughly while Bain and Bifur discreetly secured the possible ways into the house. “Master Dwarf, do you really think they will come after us if Father kills the dragon?”

Bain watched the dwarf toss a nervous glance at Tilda, only giving Sigrid a firm nod when he saw the little girl wasn’t looking. Tilda was thankfully was too distracted by some small whittled tows Bifur had handed her to comfort her when her father had to leave to notice too much of the dread her elder sibling and the dwarf held.

“I think the only one who might manage a good fight, Master Dwarf,” Sigrid sighed.

Bifur shrugged before running his fingers down his ears and a bit past them, mimed holding a bow, and then finally gestured to the door.

“Well I suppose she might make it back in time,” Sigrid agreed. “Still, that dragon…seems dangerous just staying here.”

Bifur shook his head and gestured to the bucket she was washing the plates in and then outside.

“He’s got a point, at least we’ve got plenty of water here in Laketown,” Bain said. “Um…what was what you were going for, right?”

Bifur nodded. He tapped his weapons, then pointed at the elder sibling, and then made a questioning gesture.

“No, no weapons, we don’t have any other than what you have and the kitchen knives,” Sigrid said.

Bifur pulled a small hatchet out of his coat and handed it to Bain, before inspecting the kitchen knives and giving a few to Sigrid.

“I don’t really know how to use this,” Bain admitted.

Bifur nodded, muttering something in what must have been a dwarven tongue. He put a knife in each of Sigrid’s hands and crossed the blades before resting his own danger between them.

“So I can block?” Sigrid asked. “Wait, what are you-?”

Bifur took her hands in his free one and guided them to the side, his blade forced with hers.

“Oh, you want to give us lessons!” Bain said.

The dwarf nodded firmly.

.o.o.o.

Hours later, as the dragon’s roars echoed over the lake, Sigrid grabbed the knives Bifur had handed her last night.

“That won’t do us any good if the dragon comes,” Bain said weakly, clutching his loaned hatchet nonetheless.

“Da’s going to kill the dragon. He promised,” Tilda said firmly.

Bifur nodded approvingly and patted the young girl’s head, his dagger firm in his other hand.

“How long would it take a dragon to fly out here?” Bain wondered.

“Not long,” Sigrid replied tightly. “The alarm would sound when they saw him, and they’d see him as soon as he crested the mountain. So we would have some warning if it happened.”

“There’s no more roaring,” Tilda said. “Is it dead?”

Someone knocked on the door and all four tensed. Bifur waved the children back and strode towards the door while Bain pushed Tilda behind himself and Sigrid.

Bifur opened the door to a woman he’d seen washing when last in the town.

“Mrs. Isla?” Bain asked.

“You’re in danger, dwarf,” she told Bifur. “You and those children. Their father and most of his supporters are out hunting that dragon and with what we just heard…”

“The Master wouldn’t be fool enough to kill the children of a dragonslayer,” Sigrid said as Bain covered Tilda’s ears.

“But he might hostage you if he sees your father as gaining power,” Isla replied. “Be on your guard, is all I’m saying.”

Bifur asked her something before realizing she didn’t understand him. He gestured between her and the children.

“I’m sorry, I don’t take your meaning,” Isla said.

“I think he’s asking if you might…hide us?” Bain suggested. Bifur nodded.

“I will have been seen coming here, they’d search my house as soon as they saw you missing,” Isla said. “Better you stay somewhere secured with warning. I’m going to stir up some of Bard’s other friends, see what we can’t do.”

She left and Bifur snarled as he shut the door.

“Don’t be too mad,” Sigrid said. “Lots of people have been selling others out lately. It seems to be in fashion.”

Bifur snorted angrily. He walked to the kitchen and put a pot of water on.

Sigrid bustled over to help while Bain continued to watch the door. It would be a long day for them.

.o.o.o.

“Why would the Master try anything?” Bofur asked as they ran down the mountain, a significantly easier task than running up it. “It wouldn’t exactly help his image!”

“Who needs image when you have all the power, master dwarf?” Smith asked.

“Ack, none o’ that power-grabbing stuff, I’m a _toymaker_ , you know!”

“A toymaker who seems quite handy with a pickaxe.”

“What, this old thing?” Bofur asked. “Might need to crack some men’s skulls with it if you’re right, is all!”

.o.o.o.

The sun was at noon when another knock echoed across the door of Bard’s home. One again, Bifur answered, this time meeting Alfrid.

“I’m afraid the children must come with us,” the majordomo said. “You see, we-”

Bifur shut the door in his face with a loud oath in Khudzul.

“Nice,” Bain said.

Bifur simply pulled a second dagger from his coat as some of the guards with Alfrid broke the door in.

“Sorry about him, sir, he’s quite protective,” Sigrid said blithely. “Promised no harm would come to us to our father, you see.”

“Well your father may have just angered a dragon,” Alfrid said. “And so we need you safe, after all some among us might think Smaug requires...appeasing.”

Bifur scowled and shook a knife warningly.

“I think he’s calling you a coward,” Bain said, raising his hatchet. “I mean, I’m not sure what other description would fit, trying to give three kids to a dragon!”

“Oh _no_ , not _me_ , children,” Alfrid said. “Perish the thought that _I_ might attempt such a dastardly deed! We meant to protect you from those who would.”

Even Tilda gave him an eye roll for that lie. Bifur dropped into a readier stance.

“Well, if you won’t come quietly,” Alfrid said loudly, waving for the guards to go in.

Bifur had two hamstrung before they even made it across the threshold.

.o.o.o.

Tauriel entered a nearly silent Laketown. She had heard the dragon’s death screams, for if the town was still standing that was what they were, and it seemed the rest of the town had as well. People were huddled inside except for the one house that mattered.

Bard’s home was surrounded by guards.

Her face twisted into a scowl as she rushed forward, jumping off a roof and landing feet-first onto one guard’s shoulders, sending him sprawling into another that Bifur was tangling with.

Tauriel rounded on the ever-oily Alfrid, “What is going on here?”

“The dwarf is _mad_!” the sycophant said. “We merely wished to check on the children-”

“Liar!” Sigird spat. One guard broke slipped past Bifur and tried to grab her.

Tauriel had an arrow in his knee in a second, dropping him to the floorboards.

“What are you doing?” Alfird asked. “Are the elves not allies of this town?”

Tauriel stared at him coolly, “Elves do not condone attacks on _children_. We see them as infinitely precious.” She kept her new arrow notched and swung it towards Alfrid, “Call off your men.”

Tilda yelped as the man on the floor lunged towards her, only for Sigrid’s knives to swing forward and lop one of the man’s hands off while Bain kicked him in the face.

“Well, now we have multiple assault charges too,” Alfrid sniffed.

“Do not think I won’t shoot you,” Tauriel said warningly. “Call off your men, _now_.”

“That might be unwise,” Alfrid said, holding his hands up anyway.

“Alfrid! What are you doing you little weasel?”

Tauriel did not take her eyes off the majordomo as one of Bard’s friends and Bofur charged up to the house. Bofur stood beside her, his pick held in quite a threatening position as the man strode into the house.

“What is even…pack up!” the man told Bard’s children. “We are leaving and we are doing it right now!”

“But Smith-” Tilda said.

“I will not be going to a tell a dragon slayer that I left his children behind after they were attacked,” Smith said, his voice a bit gentler.

“Dragon slayer?” Bain asked. “Then Da did it?”

“Smaug is dead,” Bofur confirmed. He grinned and raised his voice. “Bard killed the dragon!”

Tauriel smiled. Most of the street would have heard that. “Well, you won’t need custody of these children, then, Alfrid. They’ll be leaving for Dale now.”

“ _Dale_ is a pile of _rubble_ ,” Alfrid said dryly.

“Well, have to start fixing it sometime!” Bofur said. “Now call your men off the kids before I demonstrate how to castrate a man with a pick, hm?”

Alfrid stumbled back. Soon he and his guards were stalking off.

Bofur patted Tauriel on the shoulder, “Should have aimed a bit lower, m’dear. Would have sent him running.”

“Forgive me for not thinking to threaten that area. _I_ don’t have it,” she said.

“Are we really leaving?” Tilda asked Bofur.

“I’m with Smith. Your da will _kill_ us if we leave you here after that,” Bofur said. “And the man just shot a dragon dead so I’d rather not take my chances, little miss!”

Tilda laughed as Bofur ruffled her hair while Sigrid quickly started throwing things into their father’s boat out back.

“Good job,” Tauriel told Bifur. The dwarf waved her off with a smile before going to help Sigrid.

Smith, the dwarves, the elf, and the children all tensed as someone rushed up the steps. Tauriel’s bow was trained on the door when a woman with pale hair appealed, a rolling pin in hand.

“…Mrs. Isla?” Tilda asked.

“Oh, drat, are we too late?” she asked. “Wanted to give Alfrid a good whack on the head…” She gazed at her rolling pin mournfully.

“You took your sweet time getting back,” Sigrid said darkly.

“Well I had to get everyone!” Isla protested.

“Everyone?” Smith asked slowly, walking to the door. “Han! Lok!”

“Aren’t those his apprentices?” Bain asked Sigrid.

“Kid, there’s a lot more out there than just his apprentices,” Bofur said, peering out the window. “Mahal, is there ever a lot more…”

“What do you think, a hundred?” Tauriel asked Bifur.

The dwarf stroked his great beard and nodded firmly, making a quick signal.

“He means he thinks there’s more,” Bofur said. “Looks like Bard had more support than he thought.”

“Well, tell ‘em to come to Dale, then,” Smith said. “I’m going to nab my apprentices and then we’ll be back to help you lot move out, miss Sigrid. We should get up there before your da has a heart attack.”

“Why didn’t Da come?” Tilda asked.

“Well, wouldn’t you need rest after fighting a dragon, miss?” Bofur asked. “Agrim and Nori had to about drag the guy to a bed, but he’ll be fine!” He smiled, “By the looks of things, our dear elf here might need a rest too.”

“Oh, just running nonstop for nearly two days, I’m fine,” Tauriel chuckled.

“Two days!” Bofur said. “I thought you’d been back here longer! Sit down, lass! Legolas and Kili would have my head!”

“I will be fine,” Tauriel protested.

Bifur shook his head and pushed her a water pitcher and cup. He wagged a finger at her and said something in a scolding tone.

Tauriel glanced at Bofur.

“He said you’ll drop once the battle-energy wears off,” Bofur said. “So you’d better drink before you pass out on us.”

“Ah,” Tauriel said, taking a sip.

“Was the dragon big, Mr. Bofur?” Tilda asked.

“Huge, m’dear!” Bofur said. “Why, many times the size of this house, in fact!”

“Regale children later, pack now,” Tauriel recommended. She could feel weakness stealing though her as the frenzied energy from needing to do her mission wore off. “Bofur, how is Legolas?”

“Fine last I heard. Up and chatting,” Bofur said.

“Good,” Tauriel sighed. “Good.”

.o.o.o.

“Father, we received this,” Aenor said as he entered the room. He held out a note attached to a guard’s arrow.

Thranduil snarled and took it. “Dragon mistook elven prince for his father. Legolas lives. King Under the Mountain wished you warned of dragon in case attempt to slay at dawn fails.” His hands curled into fists, rending the note in two and crushing the halves.

“She’s quite succinct,” Aenor noted. “Hopefully that should allay your fears regarding Legolas’ health, at least.”

“Allay my fears?” Thranduil snapped. “All Tauriel has admitted is that a dragon may be unleashed upon us! And while Legolas may have been alive at the time of writing, that does _not_ guarantee his continued survival!”

“Father, your judgment is clouded,” Aenor said calmly. “I too worry for Legolas-”

“Not enough to properly figure out how he intended to find the mountain!” Thranduil spat. “If he had done as you guessed he’d still be miles away from it!”

“There was always room for error in my assumptions,” Aenor replied. “As there is in all assumptions.”

“With Lagoron still off getting the Ranger, I command the army. We are going to Erebor.”

“Why an _army_?” Aenor asked. “Were those not a dragon’s death cries that echoed at noon? You know the sound better than I, so you tell me!”

“Wherever were you hiding this insolent streak?” Thranduil asked his eldest.

“I hid nothing. I had no reason to be insolent before and thus was not,” Aenor replied.

“I am going to Erebor,” Thranduil repeated. “And when I get there-”

“You will not go to that mountain in anger!”

The room was silent. The councilors had all fled at the start of the argument, letting Aenor’s heated words settle between them.

“I _will not_?” Thranduil asked icily. “Aenor, I am king. You do not tell me what I will and will not do.”

“I will tell you what I think,” the crown prince replied. “Especially because _you_ are not thinking at all right now! It would be an act of war!”

“We would simply be seeking to confirm the death of the dragon and the retrieval of my son, _your brother_ ,” Thranduil replied.

“Oh, do not say it like that, father,” Aenor said. “As if I do not care about Legolas. Of course I do! But he chose to aid the dwarves both in their escape and apparently in dealing with the dragon, and so-”

“So you do not mind if your brother dies to dragon fire?”

“So I say it would be his choice!” Aenor yelled.

“He is too young to make such a choice!”

“And yet as old as you are you do not see how your own actions come off!” Aenor shouted. “You are a king who has been crowned for over four thousand years! And look at your actions!”

“My actions were for the good of my people and this forest,” Thranduil said.

“Oh, many were. I understand not aiding when Smaug first came, though I cannot understand denying _shelter_ and _food_ to the refugees.”

“They had no point coming west, the Iron Hills were the other way,” Thranduil dismissed.

“They were our allies!”

“You are a fool if you think Thror and I were ever allies, _boy_.”

“This ‘boy’ has seen you be foolish whenever you must deal with the line of Durin!” Aenor replied. “Very well, let us leave Thror out altogether. Let us simply look at your reaction to a group walking through our woods, harming no one but those damnable spiders, and what you did.”

“I offered our aid.”

“You locked them up for not paying you,” Aenor said coldly. “You may claim the dwarves as greedy and gold-mad, but would not let them pass without _payment_.”

“It was a test. They would not even give up a few chests worth of their-”

“For _what_?” Aenor asked. “Not being molested on their way to the mountain? You know, if you had simply let them go at the edge of the woods, Legolas would still be here, or at least in Rivendell, and not anywhere near a dragon-”

“ENOUGH!” Thranduil bellowed. “You do not need to understand why I do what I must, Aenor.”

“I understand if you go with an army you will lose any hope of reconciling with my brother, who was driven away by your own stubbornness and need for control,” Aenor said. “Father _, do not take the army_. I beg of you.”

“Oh, now you remember your manners,” Thranduil said.

“The dragon is dead, what would you need the army for?” Aenor asked. “There are only a dozen or so dwarves and the men are poor and ill-equipped. For what could you need the army, in their eyes, but an invasion?”

“I would as soon leave the army was you would spend the time I am gone in the cells.”

“Then we are at an accord?” Aenor asked dryly, holding out his wrists.

Thranduil’s eyes narrowed, “Guards!”

“It seems we are,” his heir mused as the guards rushed in.

“Take this insolent pup to the dungeon. Treat him as you would any other prisoner,” Thranduil said. “He will be released upon my return, once he has had time to reflect on his tendency to move against his king.”

The guards looked between the king and the prince.

“Oh, I’ll go,” Aenor said calmly. “Father?”

“I will take the king’s guard. It’s only a dozen. On your own head may any tragedy be,” Thranduil said, sweeping from the room.

The guards awkwardly tied Aenor’s hands together. The heir chuckled, “I just realized: this means when he gets back in a day or two, _Lagoron_ will be in charge.”

The look of horror on the faces of his “jailers” was well worth contemplating something so disconcerting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also known as the "meanwhile" chapter. This was originally going to have the mountain group at the end, but frankly it just ballooned into two chapters which I felt overall worked better for the flow of narrative anyway.   
> Also, I love Bifur, can you tell?


	17. The Aftermath

The group had stumbled back into Erebor at noon, Oin clucking his tongue at the lot of them.

It personally made Thorin feel quite small and foolish, not that he would ever own up to such thoughts.

“Ah, come on now, brother, we all lived, didn’t we?” Gloin demanded as Oin continued tutting about warriors and recklessness.

“What about Bard?” one man asked as Nori and Agrim looked around for somewhere to put the unconscious dragonslayer.

“Let him rest in the infirmary,” Thorin said, shucking his coat and weapons.

“You have an infirmary?” Agrim asked.

“Well, Oin found a room and said it was the infirmary,” Fili said with a shrug. “You don’t argue with healers on these things.”

Agrim took over from Nori, he and a man named Derk hefting Bard and following Gloin.

“I think we all could use some rest,” Dori said.

Thorin nodded, “Simply use the closest chambers you find. We’ll sort things out later.”

“Thorin, you should rest too,” Bilbo implored.

“I think, good thief, that I need to take a walk,” Thorin said quietly, shucking his coat and weapons and heading off into the mountain.

“Uncle,” Fili said, but Bilbo pulled the prince back, shaking his head.

“Let him go, Fili. I think he needs to clear his mind.”

Thorin walked through Erebor alone, far from the windows on the outer rock to where the darkness was deep and powerful. He’d passed by the treasure room for a moment only, to light a torch on the ones burning at its doors, and had then continued into the depths.

He did not trust himself when faced with all that gold. He did not trust his mind around it, how his thoughts drifted to it, wanting it, wanting...

He shook his head has hard as he could and walked faster. He would not dwell on it, would not think of it or let it even linger in his mind.

He walked into what had been one of the markets. The stalls were smashed to bits, and he could see some corpses about, left since the day Smaug had entered the mountain. He vaguely noted that there likely should have been more, but did not dwell further on the implications. Not when there were other troubles.

He had nearly doomed his company to a their deaths as well, after all, and why? Because Bilbo could not give him a certain gem at a certain instant? He’d raised his sword against one he held dear, he’d sent Kili and Legolas into dragon fire, he nearly set a dragon on Laketown as Bard had feared he would…

And _then_ he’d willingly walked into the dragon’s trap for that same stone, and had pushed Bilbo into using an artifact that pained the hobbit so their burglar could save his hide. And _why_?

Because he’d been greedy. Because with it all so close he had lost himself and he knew deep down he could lose himself again. And everyone who had followed him in this quest could only be given that which he both feared and coveted, the treasure of Erebor itself.

But what would that gold or the Arkenstone have been worth if it had cost one of his nephews? Or both of them? Or Bilbo? Or _any_ who had so loyally followed him so far for this half-mad venture?

“I am a fool,” Thorin announced to no one in particular. “A great fool.”

His words echoed around the cavern. It seemed the mountain agreed.

“Smaug is dead,” Thorin mused. “But…thirteen are not a kingdom. Or fourteen, should he forgive me and stay.”

“Perhaps the dragon,” he laughed ruefully, “was the _easy_ part.”

This would likely take years to right. And he was a king without a kingdom until such, with nothing to offer those who had done so much for him besides treasure they could easily go and pick up for themselves.

Something cracked under his boot. Thorin looked down, fearing he had stepped on some poor corpse, but thankfully it was just a spilled mess of small stone beads.

He had an idea.

.o.o.o.

Bard awoke to dimly lit stone.

“Hey, Oin, he’s up!”

Bard sat quickly, only for his head to spin. Pale hands grabbed his shoulders as he nearly toppled over again. His gaze travelled up the hands’ arms to see a worried elf.

“Peace, Bard,” the elf said. “You are safe.”

Bard grabbed the elf’s shoulder, making the blond flinch, “Where are my children?”

The elf frowned, “They are in Laketown, I should think.” He hissed slightly and Bard realized his left hand was clenched over massive burns on the blonde’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly and pulled his hand back.

“Apologize to the healer, he’s the one who will pitch a fit,” a brunette dwarf said. From his voice, he had been the one calling for an “Oin” earlier. “Looks like you didn’t mess the prince up too much.”

“You’re a prince too, you pain in the neck,” the elf groused.

“Can you tell we’ve been stuck in close quarters for too long?” the dwarf asked pleasantly. “I’m Kili, Thorin’s younger nephew. He’s Legolas, youngest son of Thranduil.”

Bard groaned. He’s just assaulted an elven prince. Of course he had.

“Oin, hurry up, I think he’s hurt!” Kili called.

“No, I think he’s just upset,” Legolas corrected. “I’m sure Smith, Bofur, and Bifur will see to your children.”

“And Tauriel should be back by now,” Kili said. “And she’ll help them too!”

“Four against all of a town. I feel so reassured,” Bard huffed, going to stand.

A dwarf with a bushy gray beard strode in and shoved him right back on the cot. “Stay down, lad. I have to check you over.”

Agrim was on the dwarf’s heels. “Four people? Bard, do you have any idea how many would rise to your defense? To protect your children?”

“What if they don’t know the dragon is dead?” Bard demanded. “What if they fear he is angered and take it out on my children?”

“Then Bofur and Smith will set them straight,” Agrim said firmly. “Bard, you _need_ to hold still and get some food and water in you before you do anything.”

“Fine. But then I _will_ be going back to the lake,” Bard said firmly.

.o.o.o.

Bilbo Baggins awoke not to light, but to sound.

He blinked one, twice. The chamber he had found to pass out in had been lit by the noonday sun before he’d drifted off, a large cutout in the wall providing a good window. Now the light was pale and thin…moonlight, he realized.

The sound was still there, a soft scraping noise. He was terrified for a moment since it sounded like Gollum on the rocks, and he sat up.

“Did I wake you?”

Bilbo stared blankly at Thorin’s concerned gaze. “Err…no? I don’t think so? What time is it?”

“The sun set about three hours ago,” Thorin said from his place under the window. “Bard took a party down to the lake about an hour before that.”

“Oh. Did you have a nice walk?” Bilbo asked.

Thorin nodded, “I mostly walked around the old markets. We’re going to have a lot of work to do there.”

Bilbo at last located the scraping noise. Thorin was carving something into a small round stone with what looked like an iron needle. “What are you doing?”

“Carving beads,” Thorin said.

“Well, yes _that_ was visible enough,” Bilbo said. “Why are you carving beads?”

“I needed to take my mind off things,” Thorin said. “There will be only more work with the dragon dead the the kingdom needing fixing. And then I realized those who did the most against the dragon needed reward.”

“So you are making beads?” Bilbo asked. “Are they…commemorative beads?”

“They are badges of honor. I could think of nothing better, especially given…my disinclination towards the treasure room.”

Bilbo frowned, “Thorin, do you really think you…that is to say you might…”

“Sometimes I fear I already have,” Thorin said, dropping his gaze to the bead. “A sane dwarf would not threaten someone so valued. A sane dwarf would not order his nephew and a valued ally to go shoot out a dragon’s eyes without fear for their safety-”

“You were _plenty_ afraid for their safety!” Bilbo said. “I was standing right next to you, you were terrified for them!”

“I told them to do it!” Thorin said.

“Thorin, Legolas and Kili doing what they did is the only reason Smaug did not burn down Laketown,” Bilbo said. “It was a hard decision, but it was the right one.”

“And threatening you?” Thorin asked. “I cannot excuse that.”

“Well, since I was the one being threatened, I don’t quite think that it’s up to you to excuse it,” Bilbo said, sitting beside Thorin. The mountain wind drifted lazily through the window and Bilbo pushed his hair out of his eyes. “I rather think it falls to me.”

Thorin smiled sadly, “I know you cannot forgive me for such a-”

“Thorin, would you like to apologize?” Bilbo interrupted calmly.

“Yes, of course!” Thorin said firmly. “I would make amends in any way possible to you for my-”

“Apology accepted.”

Thorin stared at him wide-eyed with his jaw hanging ever so slightly open.

Bilbo stared back, “What?”

“You…you cannot just…I mean I…”

“Well we agreed it was I who had to forgive you. I just did,” Bilbo said. “Thorin, you’re a smart dwarf and it’s really not that hard a notion to understand. I forgive you. It was a moment of weakness, really there’s little to forgive-”

Bilbo squeaked as Thorin yanked him into a crushing hug.

“You are too forgiving, Mr. Baggins.” Thorin’s deep timbre shook around the words.

“It wasn’t you. Not really,” Bilbo said, running a hand through Thorin’s hair.

“That is no excuse.”

“I know, but you did not have your full wits about you and I know you, the real you, would not do that,” Bilbo said.

Thorin’s grip tightened. “And if it happens again? The line of Durin is known to-”

“Thorin Oakenshield if you think I will hesitate to smack some reason into you in such a situation perhaps you _haven’t_ regained your senses,” Bilbo snapped.

“And if I will not listen to your reason? What then?” Thorin demanded, pulling away. “I nearly lost my grandfather to dragon fire he was so intent on trying to save his gems, and Dwali was right, I was acting exactly the same in Dale! I fear what such fervor towards them could bring-”

“Thorin, where is the Arkenstone now?”

Thorin frowned, thinking. “In my coat. I dropped it in the entrance hall, I would assume Fili has it..?”

“Then you’re fine.”

“What?” Thorin asked.

Bilbo stretched before leaning against the king, “I mean you’re not obsessed with it like you were when we entered the mountain, or even when we were in the town. For goodness sakes, Thorin, you threw it at the dragon!”

“It was the only chance we had!” Thorin said. “We had to get Smaug away from Kili and Legolas!”

“Would someone mad with the greed of gold fever have let that stone go for that reason?” Bilbo asked.

Thorin smiled grimly, “No. No reason would be enough.”

“But for you it was,” Bilbo said.

“That time, perhaps.”

“Thorin, you cannot dread the future so,” Bilbo said. “No when you have just gotten all you wanted!”

“Not _all_ I wanted,” Thorin said.

“Well, it will be a kingdom again soon enough. I daresay we hobbits have a knack for fixing things up, so I’ll certainly pull my weight, you know-”

Something hard and cool pressed into Bilbo’s palm.

“What’s this?” Bilbo asked, looking at the deep blue bead. A dagger-like tooth was carved into it with tiny runes on the back.

“One of the beads. I finished Kili and Legolas’ first, Yours required a bit more thought,” Thorin said, showing Bilbo a green and an amber bead, each with a carefully carved eye on it.

“Why a fang?” Bilbo asked, rolling it between his fingers.

“You spoke with the beast.”

“And the runes?”

“Brave. Clever. Important,” Thorin said, tracing each with a fingertip.

“Important?” Bilbo asked.

Thorin nodded, “Very important, Mr. Baggins.”

“I thought I told you to call me Bilbo,” Bilbo sighed, rolling his eyes. “So this would…go in my hair?”

Thorin nodded silently.

“Well, a good thing your troublesome nephews never let me cut it.”

“I believe that was their intention.”

“What, that I might get a bead after the dragon was dead?” Bilbo asked, laughing.

“Yes. But not this bead,” Thorin said, putting the stone back in Bilbo’s palm.

“They…expected another bead for me?” Bilbo asked. “Thorin?”

The king simply unwound one of the silver clasps from one of his own braids and held it out, not meeting Bilbo’s eyes. “They expected one of these.”

“Thorin…I have not wanted to be…presumptuous about whatever is between us but…that seems an intimate gesture,” Bilbo said. “From what I know of dwarven braids and beads.”

“A very intimate gesture,” Thorin said. “It would indicate my intent to court you.”

“Court me? Thorin, I…” Bilbo said, running a hand through his hair. “Are you certain?”

“Do you doubt my commitment?” Thorin asked.

“No but…I’m a hobbit. From the Shire.”

“I fail to see your point. You have proven yourself more than worthy of my affections, worthy of so much more than merely my affections but I am a greedy fool and shall hope that will content you,” Thorin said.

Bilbo smiled, “It would more than content me, Thorin.”

The kiss was brief, but they remained quite close after. Thorin rested his forehead on Bilbo’s, “May I then add your beads, beloved?”

“So the majestic king is a romantic at heart,” Bilbo teased. “Yes. If my hair will let you!”

“I have faced dragons, Bilbo Baggins, slippery curls shall not deter me,” Thorin joked.

Thorin was very careful with his hair, and Bilbo could feel as the king worked every stray strand and curl into the braids, doing the double-service of not only declaring his intentions but getting Bilbo’s bangs out of his eyes properly for the first time in weeks.

“So do we know what Bard’s plans are?”

“I believe he intends to reclaim Dale,” Thorin replied. “He shall have our support in doing so.”

“Well, of course,” Bilbo agreed as the first braid was tied off with the blue stone and dropped behind his ear. “So, what are our plans now?”

“I will send word to Dain in the morning. We shall have to come up with some way to get a message to Dis in Ered Lun as well, to let our people know they may come home.”

“What do we do about the dragon decomposing in Dale?” Bilbo wondered.

“Well, the scales and fangs would have uses, if nothing else, but fire drakes are foul creatures, so I’m not sure I’d trust the meat,” Thorin said. “We should probably cut it to bits and bury it before it attracts scavengers or wargs.”

“Oh, but would that not be such a fitting end for Smaug the Magnificent, being picked clean by rats?” Bilbo asked.

“With the number of rats that would require, the men of Dale might not thank you,” Thorin noted.

“Point taken.”

“Naturally.”

“Uncle!” Fili burst in and Thorin and Bilbo quickly scooted a bit more apart, Bilbo flinching as the cold sliver bead hit his skin. “Uncle, Bilbo, Bard’s back! And…well…there’s a lot of people. And Bifur, Bofur, and Tauriel, but a lot of Men.”

“What?” Thorin asked.

“Apparently the gents who helped us slay the dragon feared for their families, especially after Bard’s children were attacked,” Balin said, following Fili in. “So, what do we do, your majesty?”

“What are they seeking?” Thorin asked.

“Shelter, I’d assume, until Dale is in better shape to stay in,” Balin replied.

Thorin tensed. Bilbo looked at him, wondering what was wrong.

“How many?” the king asked.

“Over fifty, less than a hundred,” Fili said. “Just the group, their families, and Smith’s apprentices.”

Thorin nodded, “Give them shelter, then. I will meet with Bard and we shall…see what we can work out.”

Fili nodded and went to leave. He suddenly paused, turned, looked at Bilbo and Bilbo’s braids, and grinned. “Oh, Mahal, I was right! It did happen at night!” He rushed out, rushed back in, said “congratulations!” very loudly, and ran back out.

“Thorin, if it makes you feel better, I worry a lot more about your nephews’ sanity than yours,” Bilbo sighed.

.o.o.o.

They wanted gold. Thorin was glad he’d kept his hands in his lap, it would not have been good for the Men to see his fists clench so.

It was _his_ mountain and _his_ gold and-

He took a deep breath. “That could be a problem. Our company had a contract dictating the exact amounts of gold each was to receive. I’d have to consult them all with whatever offer you make.”

“What about Dale’s gold, then?” Bard asked. “The city was rich on its own, and surely the men used different coinage from Erebor?”

Thorin nodded at Balin, who probably knew. He’d never personally paid in Dale with anything but dwarven coins, but the cities had been so close it might have been accepted the currency anyway. Especially due to its gold and silver nature.

As Balin launched into a quick sum-up of the exchange rates and currency of Dale and Erebor, Thorin bit back the wish to tell them that the gold was _his_. It was not all his, and he knew, it truly, but-

“So I’m not sure how much that would get you,” Balin continued explaining. “Dale had some coins of its own, certainly, but they mostly traded with our coins. Unless someone can locate a record of their treasury, it’s likely it’s all been well and mixed together by now.”

“Added in Smaug’s body heat and the fact that some of the stuff on the treasure room floor is melted flat and, _well_ ,” Gloin added, shrugging. “Could get complicated.”

Thorin’s eyes flicked over to the rest of the company, who were going over the contract. Gloin had procured an abacus and some paper and was taking down figures, likely trying to best work out how to keep everyone’s shares as intact as possible while still dealing with the Men. And something about a bet that Thorin was telling himself he did not want to know about right then.

“Well, I’m sure the things made by Dale’s craftsmen should be easily discernable,” Smith noted.

That drew some chuckles and nods from the company, including a scoff of “ _Mahal_ , Men’s smithing!” from Kili.

“Well, we’ll start there, then?” Balin asked Thorin.

He nodded slowly. “That would be acceptable.”

No, no it was not acceptable, none of them had even come until the dragon was outside the mountain and a threat to their lives but they still demanded a share of-

“I, ahem, had my own question,” Legolas said slowly as the Men left for the entrance hall, where they were currently camping. “I never actually picked my share.”

“Well, pick it soon before the Men choose what you might want,” Dwalin said.

Legolas drummed his fingers against his knee. “I’d like…some of the star diamonds, please.”

Everyone fell quiet. Gloin even stopped scratching away on his paper, giving the elf a scolding look.

Legolas kept his gaze firmly on Thorin, likely afraid of what everyone else thought. Even Tauriel looked a little concerned about his idea, so he was probably right to.

Thorin pursed his lips. He knew why Legolas had asked for those, in order to pacify his father the Elvenking.

In order to give them to the one who had denied Thorin’s people aid.

“ _That_ is less acceptable,” the king stated, and he quickly left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mwahaha! A cliffhanger! I'm evil!  
> Don't be too mad at Leggy, he has his reasons.  
> As for the chapter count now up there, that's an estimate. It may run one or two more depending on how certain chapters cooperate (remember, this and the previous were once on and that just did not work).  
> Fili and a few others just made a killing. Other just lost big time. Thorin and Bilbo still have no idea (by willing themselves not to).


	18. Legacies of Gold

Bilbo found Thorin first, “What is the matter, Thorin?”

“He wants to give some of the treasure to…to that…” Thorin slammed a fist against the wall in rage. “The _Elvenking_.”

“Thorin, do you even know how you sound about the treasure?” Bilbo asked. “First you act as though you cannot look at it. Then you walk into a trap for the Arkenstone. Then you confess terror at the idea of goldsickness. Now you suddenly get possessive over it all over again!”

“I would not care if Legolas took them for _himself_ ,” Thorin insisted. “But he wants to give it away to an enemy!”

“Yes, well, he could have come up with a slightly better way of asking, _yes_ ,” Bilbo conceded. “But I know why he asked.”

“And why is that?” Thorin snapped.

“Because Legolas has admitted time and again that his father is overprotective of him, and something tells me your woodland neighbor won’t be too pleased when he finds out about his son’s burning-via-angry-dragon!”

“Was it not you who argued only hours ago that it was not my fault?” Thorin asked.

“I’m saying that the _Elvenking_ will not see it that way!” Bilbo sighed. “If the situations were reversed and something like that had happened to Fili or Kili in the care of another king, would you not need some sort of pacification?”

“I would never let Fili or Kili go off with someone who betrayed us in the past!”

“Well, technically the Elvenking did not ‘let’ his son come with us, either!” Bilbo noted. “Thorin, it’s just an attempt to avert any enmity-”

“There is already far too much enmity to make averting any more worth anything,” Thorin growled.

“Thorin, the boy was trying to help,” Bilbo said. He felt a bit awkward, calling Legolas a boy, but the elf was young in his own way, the hobbit supposed. “He doesn’t want his father to harm us and to him that was the way to avoid it.”

“By having us give the bastard what he demanded when he took us prisoner?” Thorin demanded.

“By doing something a as show of good faith,” Bilbo said. “Thorin, this place is amazing, and I’m sure it will be a kingdom soon enough, but right now there is a full kingdom but a few weeks away, only a week if one rides quickly, and right now its king and thus its army have no reason to be pleased with us.”

“I do not care what elves think,” Thorin said. “I sent a raven to Dain at dawn, we shall have some support from our own soon enough.”

“Well, then I’d keep the support of the Men of Dale as well if you could help it. Goodness knows with the Master’s enmity of Bard and now you for helping Bard gain prominence he’d side against us in a heartbeat,” Bilbo said.

Thorin’s shoulders relaxed, “I will give the Men what the ask, Bilbo. I intend to do rightly by them while still doing right by my own people.”

“You were struggling to.” Bilbo had seen it, he’d wager so had the company’s archers. Thorin had been unreasonably tense at the meeting. They could blame it on any number of things that would not insult the men, but he had been very, very tense all the same and Bilbo was quite worried that he knew where it was from.

“It…eats as me,” Thorin said softly. “I can feel it like this…haze that wants to envelope my mind. I swore again and again I would not do as my grandfather did, but here I am, struggling with those same demons. There I was, threatening you with a sword over a stone. Rushing into a dragon’s trap for it.”

“Then let me help you,” Bilbo said, gently running his fingers through Thorin’s hair. “Let me help you as you help me.”

“And how do I help you, âzyungel?” Thorin asked bitterly. “You have to deal with this encroaching madness, what could I possibly have-”

“The ring.”

Thorin fell silent at that.

“After Smaug, when I’d worn it for quite some time I’d noticed it…whispering things,” Bilbo said. “After I use it, I mean. But in Dale, when it tried…I only had to look at you and it fell silent.”

“You never said… _Bilbo_ ,” Thorin whispered, pulling him close.

“That’s it,” Bilbo said, smiling as he was crushed against the dwarf’s broad chest. “When I told you in Laketown, I yet again still tried to find an excuse…but then you put your hand on my shoulder and I…I found the strength to tell you and Balin. You don’t know it, but you do give me strength, Thorin.”

“I still cannot see how I could do so.”

“Because I care for you. I think the ring is powerless against that,” Bilbo said. “It doesn’t know what to do with it.”

“What does it tell you?” Thorin asked.

“Well, it tries to make me think…rather dark things, really,” Bilbo said. “Told me to listen to the dragon, for one, when he was mocking me.”

“We should melt it down in the forges,” Thorin huffed.

“For all you know it might pass its magic to all the gold it was melted with,” Bilbo noted.

“Then melt it alone. I’ve worked with gold before, I can make a fire hot enough.”

“I think we should wait for Gandalf,” Bilbo said firmly. “He knows far more of magic than we.”

“Bilbo,” Thorin said after a few moments. “I…understand why you used the ring when the dragon woke. By why in Dale?”

“What do you mean?” Bilbo asked. “If we were going to get the silly stone then doing it unseen made sense, in case Smaug’s vision was back.”

“But why did you care if we got the ‘silly stone’ at all?” Thorin asked.

Bilbo flushed, “Well, you see…I mean it is…it was, that is, it was important to you?”

He could feel his ears heating up as Thorin looked mortified. “Bilbo, _no_! No, not for me, never for me! We agreed that ring was to save your own life and nothing else!”

“Well you matter to me like nothing else, Thorin Oakenshield!” Bilbo shot back. “ _Dwarves!_ Why is that such a hard concept that what matters you to matters to me by virtue of it mattering to you?”

“When you think I am a fool for it mattering, perhaps?”

“Well…even I will admit that stone is a bit of a special circumstance,” Bilbo said. “It is the symbol of your right to rule. I may not understand how overly complex some of your dwarvish traditions get, but I figured _that_ out at least.”

“A symbol is still a symbol,” Thorin said. “You are…you are more important than that, Bilbo Baggins, do you hear me?”

Well. That was…that was quite nice to hear, frankly. Bilbo smiled, taking the hand that was tightly holding his shoulder, “I…thank you, Thorin.”

“I will _think_ about Legolas’…idea,” Thorin said.

“How about we discuss it over some tea?” Bilbo offered. “Some of the women who came up from the lake brought some and I’m sure I could get ahold of enough leaves…”

.o.o.o.

Tauriel chuckled as Sigrid, Bain, and Tilda continued to describe their protection from the Master for their father. Bard had simply been too relieved last night to ask, but now he was getting the full tale of the Simply Amazing Master Bifur and the Equally Heroic Tauriel, Bofur, and Smith.

“Eat,” Legolas ordered, shoving another plate of vegetables and a mug of ale over. His newly-cut hair only brushed his shoulders as he turned back to the story, currently the only visible sign that anything had happened to him. Tauriel was grateful one of the Men had given him a shirt that fit, as Legolas had likely been uncomfortable in just his coat.

“He’s right, lass, you’re still far too gaunt,” Fili admonished when she did not begin eating right away.

Tauriel huffed and did as she was bid, too tired to argue. Outside of a small water skin she’d had no sustenance until returning to Bard’s house and no rest until the mountain. She was sure she looked a fright and that all three of her princely friends were right to give her worried looks. She was only even managing to sit upright by leaning on Kili on one side and Legolas on the other.

“We should hand you over to Oin, really,” Kili noted.

“Oh, let the story finish first,” Tauriel pleaded. “They are quite right you know, Bifur was utterly fantastic at defending them. I barely had to do a thing.”

“High praise from one so fierce,” Legolas noted before significantly glancing at the plate again. Tauriel sighed and ate some more food.

“Still, holding the Master’s right hand man at arrow-point…that’s just amazing!” Kili gushed.

“I’ll need that nerve when the Elvenking eventually shows up and finds his scorched son,” Tauriel said. “He’s going to clap me in irons, I just know it.”

“Like we’d ever hand you over if that was the case,” Kili said airily.

“I’ll handle my father, Tauriel, I promise,” Legolas said.

“Wait, he threatened to do what with a pickaxe?” Bard asked, guffawing. Bofur proudly gave a little bow from where he was eating with Nori, Dwalin, and Bombur.

“Oh, look there, Bard the Grim can in fact smile,” Smith teased from where he was drinking with his apprentices.

“He’s gonna be the king, right?” one apprentice asked.

Bard instantly looked horrified, “I really don’t think-”

“I do,” Fili said.

“Aye, as do I,” Balin agreed.

“Same,” Smith said.

“That’s what you get for being a dragonslayer,” Dwalin added. “People want to follow you.”

“Simple enough if you ask me,” Nori added over the rim of his beer.

Tauriel watched as Nori and Dwalin shared grins. Did they have something to do with this? Having Bard be the leader of the Men, well, that was already clear, but a _king_ …

“Well, that settles it, da, you’re king, get used to it,” Sigrid said cheekily.

“You, young lady, have clearly gotten into cups you should not have,” Bard scolded.

“We’re not supposed to drink this, then?” Bain asked, peering into his own cup. “It tastes pretty good.”

Bifur scoffed loudly, waving his hand.

“Well, he says he made sure Miss Tilda’s only had water, if that helps,” Bofur chuckled.

Bard gave his two elder children firm looks, but they both just grinned back at him. He sighed and snatched their mugs, “Someone pass two cups of water this way.”

“You know, my mother wouldn’t let me drink until I was nearly fifty,” Kili sighed.

“Dori wouldn’t let Ori or I near it until we were sixty-five,” Nori countered.

“Not that it stopped you,” Dwalin noted.

“Well…no,” the redhead admitted roguishly, to his elder brother’s fierce sigh. “Love you too, Dori!” he called across the room.

Tauriel snickered and bowed her head, accidentally curtaining Kili in red locks. “Oh, sorry!”

“About what? You have quite lovely hair,” Kili said, smiling. “Longest I’ve ever seen.”

She pushed it back, smiling. She’s been complimented on her bright hair before but never so…sweetly. Or with such flattering references to its length that didn’t include mentions of the Lady Galadriel.

Really, who complimented a lady by comparing her to another one, even one of the fairest of Arda? Much better when one was the only lady mentioned, she felt.

“All right, all right, I’ll do it, stop pestering me!” Bard huffed at his children and some of the Men.

“All hail the new king of Dale!” Fili cheered.

“Three cheers for Bard! Again!” Agrim added.

Well, there went the party. Tauriel smiled as most everyone went wild at the announcement, though Kili and Legolas stayed by her, helpful souls that they were, so she didn’t fall over mid-congratulations.

That might have put a damper on things, after all, and she and the dwarven princes intended to do that in _private_ with Legolas, asking him what the _hell_ he’d been thinking. No need to interrupt a whole party.

Bilbo for one would be appalled if they did.

.o.o.o.

Legolas swallowed as Thorin cornered him the next morning.

“Sit,” the King Under the Mountain said, nodding at a nearby bench. “So. You made the request in order to give the diamonds to your father.”

“Yes. I meant no insult.” Legolas sat, putting himself at eye level with the still-standing Thorin.

“You wish to give them to your father in order to placate him,” Thorin added. “You feel he will likely be very angry over your injuries and thus require some restitution.”

“…Yes,” Legolas admitted. He was happy Thorin was being so calm about this, but he couldn’t help but fell that made it more dangerous at the same time.

“Well, that’s foolish. You are his son and quite beloved by him, obscure as most his motivations are to me I can see that much,” Thorin said. “No restitution in the world would be enough if it meant your injury.”

“I am _already_ injured, King Under the Mountain, for all Oin and Tauriel agree I shall soon enough heal,” Legolas said dryly.

“And it is also foolish as the _point_ of your share is a reward for yourself.”

“I would consider less enmity between my homeland and another kingdom a great reward.”

“But it is not something for you alone,” Thorin said. “This is.”

Legolas stared at the bead. It was a stone, a gloriously bright green one, a large eye with a slit-pupil taking up one side and dwarven runes the other. “What is this?”

“A badge of honor for what you did for this mountain, for my people, and for me,” Thorin said.

“It is lovely,” Legolas said, inspecting it further. “Thank you.”

“I am willing to take your proposal under…consideration,” Thorin said carefully. “If you can present enough advantages for it to be worth it.”

Legolas nodded. “Mirkwood is the closest large kingdom to where you currently are, and your current position here is rather vulnerable and shall be until you get word to the Blue Mountains.”

He’d had a good scolding from Tauriel and the dwarven princes over this whole mess last night, but at least they’d helped him work out his points in the ensuing argument. Whether or not that had been their intention was still up in the air…

“My cousin Dain’s kingdom is not _that_ much further and they have already agreed to reinforce us.”

“Any caravans from the Blue Mountains must cross the woods.”

“Or go around, as we tricked your brothers into thinking we did.”

“But then none could leave until after the coming winter, as without a direct route through the woods you add over a month of travel time if not two.”

“But it is still possible.”

Legolas sighed, “Well, I had one other reason.”

“What?”

“If you give him the gems, you are given the moral high ground, which at the very least will make you look better in comparison to him to other kingdoms as well as likely _greatly_ upset him, as doing nothing for such _kindness_ would then make him look like the villain of the day.”

Thorin stared at the young elf, a small smirk on his lips, “And you present this as a viable option, do you?”

“I present it as one I think you would like,” Legolas replied.

“Very well,” Thorin said. “A single chest. But I cannot spare any dwarves from our work to make this place habitable. You will have to seek them on your own. And you are to do two other things besides.”

“Which are?” Legolas asked.

“You are to find _something_ in that room you want for yourself. Some single thing you are willing to take. And you are to help me figure out what to give Bard.”

“Bard?” Legolas asked.

“For killing the dragon. I can give beads to you, Kili, and Bilbo, but men do not wear such things in their hair.”

“I did not know hobbits wore hair ornaments either,” Legolas noted as he thought on it. “Well, if it is to be jeweled, I know the Men have declared Bard their king…”

“With how reluctant he is about it I don’t think a crown is a good plan,” Thorin said.

“Ah. Well then…perhaps something for a cloak? He seems to like wearing them, maybe a jeweled clasp?”

“Aye, that could work,” Thorin agreed. “Very well then, Legolas. I will give your father his diamonds, of only to see the look on his face when I do. But you must find them.”

“Ah…about that. I am not entirely sure what a star-diamond is and what makes it different from other diamonds,” Legolas confessed.

Thorin sighed, “Talk to Fili. He’s worked as a jeweler, he can do the best job describing the difference to a non-dwarf.”

“My thanks. I will confess, a lot of gems look alike to me.”

“You have the eyesight to shoot out a dragon’s eyes at night and spy a far-off town in the fog but cannot tell your jewels?” Thorin asked. “You elves are a strange lot indeed.”

“As are you dwarves, King under the Mountain,” Legolas replied. “…will you also wear a bead, for throwing your sword into the dragon’s wing?”

“I think not,” Thorin said.

“Why not?” Legolas asked. Thorin simply gave him a look and left. “Bilbo is right. _Dwarves_.”

.o.o.o.

“I know there weren’t that many yesterday,” Kili commented, looking down at the Men from a watchpost.

“I haven’t done a proper count, but I know that one wasn’t here, so yes,” Fili agreed.

“Maybe they took Smith’s offer to heart,” Tauriel offered. “There’s some more headed up this way.”

“What offer?” Kili asked.

“To come to Dale since Bard is a better leader than the Master,” Tauriel said.

“He planned that before Bard was all right with being king, did he?” Fili chuckled.

“Planned it before anyone even suggested Bard be a king at all,” Tauriel replied.

“Goodness gracious, that blacksmith is a _plotter_. We should introduce him to Nori at dinner tonight,” Fili mused.

“Fee, I think they already know each other,” Kili said.

“Then we shall reintroduce him as a fellow…scoundrel? Plotter? Trickster? Is there something I can use that does not sound just awful when said out loud?” Fili wondered.

“Schemer?” Kili offered.

“That’s worse,” Tauriel said, making a face.

“Ah, well, we’ll come up with something. After Tauriel lets me go, of course.”

“It was Fili’s idea,” the elf protested.

“The bead’s going behind your head as you won’t wear braids, little brother, so someone else has to put it in,” Fili said. “It’s not our fault you wouldn’t hold still for me to brush your hair a bit.”

“All this to wear a single bead. Why couldn’t it have been on a clip?” Kili whined.

Tauriel tightened her hold a bit, smirking as he blushed and went quiet.

“And…ta-da! Kili with a proper bead in his hair for the first time I can recall!” Fili announced, putting Kili’s silver clip under the bead and letting go of the brown locks. “See, not so bad!”

“Right,” Kili said as Tauriel let go of him and they all leaned further out the nest-like watch post to watch the newcomers. “Not so bad.” He put his head on his arms, “So, you know Bilbo and Dwalin are petitioning Uncle to make one for himself.”

“Think it will work?” Fili asked.

“Well, from what I know, Dwalin cornered the king in the forger when he was working on Bard’s badge of honor for dragonslaying,” Tauriel said. “And thus Smith and Smith’s apprentices heard of it and have so joined the hobbit and guardsman in their questioning of why Thorin ‘who cut the dragon’s wing’ is not among those honored for injuring Smaug.”

“Kee, tonight we pester Uncle. It will help relations with the men to have a significantly united front,” Fili said.

“You’re good at this ‘being a prince’ thing, Fili!” Kili grinned.

.o.o.o.

Dwalin rubbed his forehead. He’d gone to stand guard at the treasure room’s entrance for some peace and quiet away from the ruckus of a party that had ensued upon people seeing the courting braid in Bilbo’s hair, but then Nori had shown up. “Don’t even _try_ it.”

“Try what?” the thief had the audacity to ask.

Dwalin merely raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, you mean—oh, hell no, no challenge in it, what would even be the point? Well, other than you chasing me, that _is_ a rather good end-goal now that I think about it,” Nori mused, sitting next to him. “But really, why would I bother? A good portion’s mine already, anyway. No reason.”

“Good,” Dwalin grunted.

“You know, I’d kill for an interesting theft to pull off. Because now Bard’s king of the Men and Thorin’s over himself about the star diamonds and _I didn’t get to do anything_ ,” Nori huffed.

Dwalin snorted. Trust Nori to complain when things had the grace to go well.

“I mean really, I had the very best plans possible cooked up you know. Quite a lot of scheming and sneaking. Would have been amazing.”

“I’m sure.” He was. Nori had a tendency to go for the over-the-top with these things while still being quite uncatchable unless he felt like surrendering himself. Usually to a certain guard he enjoyed flirting with.

“But now there’s just…what am I to do with myself right now, exactly? You lot in the company don’t take me seriously anymore when I steal your things, and frankly I’d rather not jeopardize our current status with the Men, so what am I to do?”

Nori looked genuinely put out over this. Dwalin pondered the dilemma. On the other hand, he didn’t want anyone causing trouble with Erebor so recently and tenuously reclaimed, even if that person was Nori who had a bad habit of weaseling technicalities out of him. On the other, well, Nori seemed quite upset.

“You know, Dain’s men will be here soon enough.” They were fellow dwarves, after all. And the alliance with them could handle a few more incidents, if necessary.

Nori snorted, “Yes, mostly to guard and work and get paid for doing so. Barely a step above sell-axes if you ask me, and no fun to rob. If they even have anything worth robbing which I doubt.”

“Aye, but someone might need to keep an eye on them. Someone very…sneaky.”

Nori grinned, “Go on.”

“Well, someone must make sure none of them are planning anything. Thorin might trust Dain, but as Thorin’s main guard it’s my job _not_ to trust other rulers _or_ their men,” Dwalin noted.

“Working for the captain of the guard on a security mission? It’s so… _lawful_. It makes me itch,” Nori huffed, folding his arms.

“And if any of them start whining about our hobbit or our elves, you may mess with them to your black heart’s content.”

“Oh, now that’s better,” Nori said, grinning. “Especially once they figure out that Bilbo and Thorin are courting. _Oh_ the things those idiots will try and say behind Mr. Baggins’ back…and what _I_ can _do_ once they _have_ …”

Dwalin rolled his eyes as Nori chuckled darkly. The things he did for love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, chapter count went up again. This one had to be split, it was focused on two different things and both ran long.   
> Okay, so, the next chapter might take longer than usual. Some of it needs rewriting and there's a lot going on right now in the real world for me, so the absolute earlier I could post it is Monday, but I'd expect it to be closer to next Friday. Thanks for being such great readers!


	19. The Gift of a Bow

After the death of Smaug the really-not-so-terrible-if-you-know-what-you’re-doing (as many of the dwarves and men had taken to calling the carcass that still laid in Dale) his vast treasure had to be sorted, counted, and parceled out properly.

However this was by no means an easy process. Smuag’s hoard, while great and glittering and wonderfully golden, was still in the end a big pile.

A very big pile.

Thus finding anything specific was more than a little tricky. The Men were able to tell trinkets of Dale from those of dwarves soon enough, but that was only slowly chipping away at the mounds. Mindful of their time limit, for there was simply no way Thranduil or at least some emissary of his—though Bard and Thorin, father and uncle that they were, held it _would_ be Thranduil in person—would not be there soon, Legolas had finally been allowed to enlist Kili to help him hunt as even Fili’s careful descriptions had not allowed him to tell Star Diamonds from Moon Quartz.

Kili had gently mocked his eleven friend for a few moments, before merrily leading him on an expedition through the treasure room, where they spent many an hour picking their way over the piles as if crossing the Misty Mountains, keeping their eyes out for the special shining white diamonds.

“No, no, what we want has sharp edges. Legolas, that’s a white opal.”

“Ah, I see. I needed to be sure.”

Still, they’d probably have enough by the time the Elvenking arrived.

“You’d think now that we know what they look like we’d have no trouble finding some,” Kili complained. “Well, _I_ would, anyway. I’m shocked you can tell emeralds from rubies!”

“There is a color difference that is easily discernable in that case. As to our quarry, perhaps the stone’s relative softness meant Smaug did not keep it in his main pile?” Legolas wondered. “Or for some other reason he did not care for it?”

“Well, it could also be in this great mess but buried,” Kili admitted. “Damn this is going to be fun to sort, huh?”

“I’m sensing some frustration, my friend. Did you not say you were raised on tales of the wealth of Erebor?”

“They forgot to mention ‘oh, and the bloody dragon will likely make it very hard to find specific things even if you might need them,’” Kili pointed out.

“I’m sure my father knows how to wait. He is an elf. He has nothing but time,” Legolas said.

“Kili! Kili!”

“Fili, Fili,” the younger brother mocked, poking through a pile of armor to see if any stones had slipped inside.

“You won’t believe this?”

“I won’t, will I? Well, might as well not tell me,” Kili teased.

“There’s a fight in Dale!!”

“What?” Kili asked, losing his footing on the gold and sliding down with Legolas following in an intentional glide down the pile.

“Yeah, the Master’s accusing Bard of something! He showed up with those armed guards of his!” Fili said. “Says Bard owes him money!”

“What?” Kili repeated.

“Where are Bard’s children now?” Legolas asked.

“Well, Tilda was with Bifur and Bombur, they’re using her to gauge what toys Dale’s children would want. I don’t know about Bain and Sigrid,” Fili panted.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Kili asked, quickly tying off the bag of star diamonds he’d managed to find.

“What I want to know is why the Master’s not demanding anything from _us_ ,” Fili mused as Kili and Legolas dropped their bags with Dwalin, who currently guarded the door. “Oh, how’s your hunt for what your father wanted going?”

“As well as could be expected in that great mess,” Legolas said.

“Great mess?” Fili echoed, annoyed.

“Your brother’s words, not mine,” Legolas said quickly. “We’ve found maybe…half what he wanted by now?”

“Half’s better than nothing,” Fili agreed. “So, anyway, some of us are going to go down there and—oof!”

He stumbled back as his coat and sword were tossed at him, smashing into his chest.

“Hurry up,” Tauriel said, passing over Legolas and Kili’s bows. “Thank Dori for making you two new quivers later.”

“What was wrong with our old ones?” Kili asked.

“Dragonfire and getting tossed down a mountain aren’t good for even sturdy leather,” Tauriel replied. “Kili, your uncle made you some new arrows. Legolas, you had plenty left, so those are still yours.”

“Yes, captain,” Legolas said dryly.

“The last time I saw the Master’s men they were threatening children,” Tauriel said hotly, making the other three glower darkly as they remembered. “Exactly. So, King Thorin and Bilbo Baggins are going to be diplomatic about this, and we are going to stand behind them and look quite intimidating. Nori will be skulking about behind everyone, looking for any hostages and freeing them. Clear?”

“I see how you made captain of the guard,” Kili said approvingly.

.o.o.o.

The dwarves of Erebor and their allies arrived to find a tense standoff. Bard stood calmly in front of the men of Dale, his new golden cloak clasp glinting in the light even as the jeweled flames and arrow it bore glittered. His quiver was slung over his shoulders along with his bow, and his arms were folded as he stared unwaveringly at the Master of Laketown.

He looked every inch a king, even in his old, worn clothes.

The Master wore rich, fine clothes, any yet he so clearly looked lesser. He was taller and larger than Bard, but the bowman had a presence that dwarfed him all the same. His finery looked out of place, like one playing at being regal, unlike the clasp that sat perfectly against Bard’s chest.

Oin quickly began moving among the men of Dale, looking for anyone injured as the rest of the Ereborean party surveyed the damage. It looked like there had been no more than a scuffle, but given how the Master’s men were better armored even a scuffle could be dangerous for Bard’s faction.

“We could hear the commotion from Erebor,” Thorin said as his opening statement. “What is the matter?”

And the Master was off, “They owe me money. I let them stay in my town, kept them under my protection-”

“You protected us from nothing! You used those thugs of yours to stay in power when no one wanted you there!” Agrim shouted.

“The Master’s guards fended off several orc attacks over the years, as did his father’s guards before them and so on,” Alfrid said, coming into sight from behind the throng of armed men behind the Master. “Do you not owe him loyalty for that?”

“Loyalty to a man who taxed us to the bone, did not care who went hungry, and lived like a king while we stayed beggars?” Isla sneered, her rolling pin held in an iron grip as she stood in front of Sigrid and Bain.

“If not loyalty, you still owe me payment for all those times you were protected,” the Master said. “And as you will not be there to pay this year’s taxes-”

“Then you’ll just have to pay the guards yourself for once!” Agrim said.

“Enough!” Thorin said. “Master of Laketown, you claim money is owed on…unpaid taxes. Yes?”

“Yes, King Under the Mountain,” the Master said, quickly sucking up.

“And how would you like to be paid?” Thorin asked, holding up a hand when some of the men behind Bard went to protest.

“Well, with gold, of course,” the Master sniffed. “If Dale is being given such a large amount, I do not see why the town all these people grew up in should flounder.”

“And what say you, Bard?” Bilbo asked.

Bard uncrossed his arms, only to fold them behind his back. “Under the Master we were all oppressed. We were hungry and downtrodden. We had no prospects. The last time I tried to bring in some fish for the poor I was told to dump it back into the lake because it might affect how much coin the Master got from taxing markets. But we are not servants. We are the Men of Dale and we have more than paid our share to him with sweat and tears!”

A great cheer rose up from Bard’s side.

“If you want payment, you may have a bag of gold for so kindly sheltering my party on our way to the mountain,” Thorin told the Master. “However I cannot see any reason for you to demand further payment from the people of Dale.”

The Master frowned, “And how do I know you will keep your word?”

“Send one of your guards back with us,” Bilbo said. “He may take the gold and then go right back to you.”

The Master did not look happy, but seemed to accept it. “Very well. Harr, go with the dwarves.”

“Fili, Kili, Dwalin, Tauriel, escort him,” Thorin said as the Laketown group left. “Legolas, Bilbo, and Balin, come. We will speak with Bard.”

“He’ll be back,” the king said as they approached. “He’s not going to be happy with just one bag of gold when he thinks I have more.”

“I’ll let Smith know to forge weapons alongside the tools he’s working on,” Thorin said. “I’m sure there’s some swords and such made for you bigger folk lying about the hoard you could use as well.”

“What we really need is to get a couple of these buildings up and fortified,” Bard said.

“Well, I am no stonemason, lad, but I think those buildings that are still standing could be reinforced better than you could make a new one,” Balin said.

“Aye, we’re sleeping in some of the large ones that survived,” Bard said. “I’d like a favor, King Thorin.”

“Yes?” Throin asked.

“I’m worried the Master will still try something. Could my children perhaps stay in Erebor with Smith and his men until we have better fortifications here?”

“Of course,” Thorin said. “But I’m afraid the lasses won’t be afforded too much privacy. We’re a bit short on habitable rooms at the moment.”

“I’m sure Dori could get something together. Propriety is very important to him,” Bilbo said. “And I’m sure Bifur would love seeing Sigrid and Bain again.”

“Get your things,” Bard told his older children. “And Tilda’s. I’ll see you in a few days, I promise.”

.o.o.o.

The Prince and Princesses of Dale—all of whom would give you very dry looks if you called them that—had been given a spare chamber next to the Ur family’s current quarters. Tilda had continued her toy-testing with Bifur and Bofur and Sigrid had join Dori, Ori, and Bilbo’s cleaning efforts.

Bain, meanwhile, was trying to help Legolas and Kili in their quest for Star Diamonds. “Why do they have to be so small?”

“They just are,” Kili said. “It’s in how they’re formed, I think.”

“How do you like Erebor, Bain?” Legolas asked as he dug through a small pile at the foot of a column.

“It’s massive,” Bain said. “Smells like the dragon, though.”

“How’s the dismembering going back in Dale, anyway?” Kili asked.

“Well, we’ve gotten some of the larger scales off, and some of the bigger teeth. The claws are giving us some trouble, so we’re letting the muscle around them rot a bit more. Way the wind usually blows you only smell it on the east side of the city,” Bain said.

“That’s good. Dragon smells bad enough, but dead dragon? Urg,” Kili said, wrinkling his nose.

“Found another one,” Legolas said, dropping a pea-sized diamond into their sack.

“So you’re the Elvenking’s son, right?” Bain asked.

“I am.”

“And Kili and Fili are princes of Erebor.”

“We are,” Kili agreed.

“Well…I…what do I do, as a prince?” Bain asked.

“I’ve been wondering the same. I’m sure we’ll know when the time comes,” Kili said.

“I personally work with the forest guard and study literature,” Legolas said.

“And go on mad quests to slay dragons,” Kili added.

“Yes, well, it’s not like there’s any other ‘mad quests’ that need my attention then, are there?” Legolas asked.

“Da said you two shot the dragon’s eyes out,” Bain said.

“We did,” Kili said proudly. “See? Badge of honor.” He turned around and tapped the amber bead in his hair.

Legolas tilted his head, letting his own green bead slide into view. “I have one as well. But the king understood that Men do not wear hair beads.”

“Oh, Da with a bead in his hair…” Bain snickered. “Yeah, I don’t think he would.”

“So, why did you ask?” Legolas asked Bain.

“Well, I was wondering…Da’s really good at archery, you know. But he’s never had time to teach me even the basics, or even get me a bow, but I was thinking maybe you could help me surprise him by teaching me?”

“What the hell, we need a break,” Kili said. “Maybe after Balin, Gloin and those accountants of Men have sorted more we’ll finds some more of the Star Diamonds. Come on, let’s go to the armory!”

.o.o.o.

“The Elvenking is coming.”

Thorin looked up from the papers he was studying, “Are you certain?”

“You placed me at the watchtower for a reason, King Under the Mountain. The Elvenking is coming here,” she said.

“Who is with him?” Thorin asked.

“Guards. No more than a dozen. I’d suspect someone counseled him against more,” Tauriel said. “I’d wager he’ll be here in three days. Maybe four.”

“My thanks for the warning,” Thorin said.

“King Thorin…permission to make myself scarce until he has seen to his son? And perhaps after?” Tauriel asked.

“You have sanctuary here in Erebor, Tauriel,” Thorin said. “By royal order.”

“I do?”

“Yes. Bilbo and Balin drew up the paperwork this morning,” Thorin said, smirking slightly.

.o.o.o.

“Little higher,” Legolas counseled. “Hold it closer to your body…no, no, look how Kili stands. Shee how the hand with the arrow—yes, yes, that’s better!”

Bain fired. The arrow sank into bark of a tree two left to the one he’d aimed at.

“Well, you’re getting better. Took me a week to stop hitting the ground,” Kili said.

“Really?” Legolas asked.

“Dwarves aren’t known for their archers. I’m self-taught,” Kili said, shrugging.

“Ah, then your skill is even more commendable,” Legolas said. “Try again, Bain. Aim for some small part of the tree, not the whole trunk.”

“I call it ‘aim small, miss small’ myself,” Kili said.

Bain’s arrow grazed the tree in question.

“We’re getting there!” Kili said.

“It’s getting dark. We should head back to the mountain,” Legolas said. “We’ll sup and then look for more of the Star Diamonds.”

“And then tomorrow we’ll look some more and then teach you some more. How’s that sound?” Kili asked. “We’ll have you ready to show off for your dad in no time at all!”

“Thanks,” Bain said, smiling. “Just hoope we all get everything sorted before winter, you know.”

“Oh, I know. The mountain’s cold at night _now_ , I’d hate to think of what winter will be like!” Kili shuddered.

“I know Dori and the women of Dale have an agreement that all ruined tapestries, curtains, and the like are to be made into blankets,” Legolas said.

“Yeah, Sigrid was planning on sewing some together tonight,” Bain said.

“Well, let’s get back to the mountain and hear everyone’s news, shall we?” Kili asked and the trio set off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, updates might be a bit sporadic for a bit, family crisis still ongoing.  
> This whole chapter had to be rewritten as originally part of it was a prologue for a sequel of one-shots. However I felt it worked better as part of this story as a whole. Yes, that's right, there will be more after this tale is done.  
> I love Bard's kids. I also don;t like the Master, he's so...urgh!


	20. Thranduil’s Arrival

It surprised Thranduil at how quickly Dale was being rebuilt, given its usual state of rubble and more rubble. Even with aid from the dwarrow things were going along rather amazingly smoothly…no wonder Laketown was emptying even now.

One of the masons told the elves that his king was meeting with the King Under the Mountain, and confirmed that Legolas and Tauriel—the two elves with the bows, as the man described them—were also at Erebor.

The trek from there was not too far, as old Dale had been built to be but a day’s easy walk from Erebor both for trade and for defense.

Not that it had worked against the dragon.

The front gates still had a gaping hole in them, as they had when Smaug had first burst through over a century ago. There were men wandering about outside with a few of the company of dwarves he had seen not two months ago.

They had been expecting him and his guards, by their reactions. A lean man with a spear offered to show him to the other kings so so Thranduil and his elves followed a twisting path through the halls not to the treasury or throne room, but to a small side room overlooking the valley. Thranduil signaled for most of his guards to wait in the hall, entering with two only.

“Elvenking,” Thorin greeted curtly.

The man sitting beside him was more polite, offering a courteous nod. “A pleasure to meet you. I am Bard, New King of Dale.”

“Thranduil of Greenwood.” He would not call the forest by its sick-name, no matter how many even among his own now did. “King Under the Mountain, where is my son?”

“With my nephew, teaching Bard’s son archery,” Thorin replied. “To pass the time.”

“I see,” Thranduil said, sitting in a chair across from the other rulers. “And so the dragon?”

“Is dead. I made the final blow myself,” Bard said. “I am surprised you did not see his corpse, if you came through Dale.”

“We stayed on the outskirts,” Thranduil said.

“Then I am shocked you did not smell it. The wind must have been kind to you,” Bard said, grinning slightly.

“Tauriel gave us a message that Smaug was crippled and trapped. How?” Thranduil asked.

“Kili and your son managed to blind him and we tricked him into the ruins of Dale with the Arkenstone,” Thorin said, the latter part of that sentence stunning Thranduil. “We had by then noticed his weak point and sent for Laketown’s crossbow and black arrow.”

“Weak spot?” He was fairly certain certain of what they spoke, but confirmation would be good.

“My ancestor, Giron of Dale, managed to knock off a large scale over the dragon’s heart,” Bard replied. “That is where my arrow was guided a few nights ago.”

Thranduil nodded—he had not even thought of it as a weak spot, only as proof that the wind lance had not been strong enough to do more than dislodge a scale. Clearly he had miscalculated.

“And it seems the mountain’s treasure is being quite well-shared,” Thranduil noted, nodding at the golden and jeweled clasp on Bard’s coat.

“Dale’s wealth is being sorted from Erebor’s as best as is possible,” Thorin said, his eyes watching Thranduil closely. “At your son’s request, Elvenking, you shall have you star-diamonds.”

“What?” Thranduil asked.

“The diamonds you requested when we were your…guests,” Thorin said. “Legolas has asked that you have them, as you clearly wanted them quite dearly.”

“And you would just give them to me?” Thranduil asked dryly.

“As soon as we have the requested amount,” Thorin agreed coolly. “We have only located about two-thirds by this point, I’m sure it would not take too long to find the rest.”

Thranduil was silent, “I take it as they are practicing archery, Legolas is not here?”

“No, he is, they practice in the great hall,” Thorin said. “From what I understand, they are shooting down the damaged tapestries.”

“They shoot through the ropes,” Bard said. “I saw one of the tapestries hitting the floor this morning. Quite a sight.”

“Then I think our chat should be tabled until I have seen to my son’s health,” Thranduil said.

Throin rose and walked to the doorway, past Thranduil’s two guards, and called down the hall for a ‘Dori.’ The dwarf then came back, “Dori shall take you. Give him a moment to get here.”

“Were there any deaths against the dragon?” Thranduil asked Bard.

“None. We were quite fortunate. Though most of that fortune is owed to your son and Prince Kili.”

Thorin chuckled. Thranduil was ready to demand whether or not it was demeaning to Legolas when the dwarf said, “Bard, I think Kili would rather not be called a prince until he absolutely has to be one. As there will not be a coronation for some time yet, you might want to give him a respite from it.”

“I wondered why he gave me such a look this morning,” Bard laughed. “Bain hates it too, for all he encouraged me to take the title of king.”

A dwarf with intricately braided hair and beard came in.

Thorin nodded, “Dori, take the Elvenking to see his son.”

Thranduil was about to walk out the door, but paused remembered anther vital question, “Tauriel?”

“With the watchmen,” Thorin answered and Thranduil left with it.

Dori took them along a winding path again—saying the way straight to the old great hall was a bit unstable—and then they reached it.

Thranduil heard Legolas before he saw him, the young elf offering instructions one shooting a ‘final rope.’

An arrow whistled and then one of the burnt great tapestries began to fall, rolling through the air as it slid to the ground in a massive heap.

“Could probably get some blankets out of that one,” someone else said.

“Kili!” Dori called. “Thranduil of Greenwood is here to see his son!”

“Well, you heard him,” the same unknown voice said. “I’ll help Bain down, go.”

Legolas came into view—he had been on one of the balconies, likely for better aiming purposes. He grabbed a rope that was tied to the stone work and began to climb down as Thranduil quickly came forward.

Legolas met him about hallway down the chamber with a slightly sheepish smile, “Father.”

Thranduil stood before his wayward boy, looking for any signs of injury. Legolas was not wearing what he had been when Thranduil had last seen him, but that had been over a month ago and so made some sense. Still, even with his inspection yielding nothing much beyond cut hair and a feeling that something was off, Thranduil could not contain the sheer joy that his youngest still lived. “My son.”

Legolas’ smile bloomed from a sheepish one to a true grin. “It’s good to see you again.”

“I am glad to see you alive,” Thranduil admitted. “The letter said the dragon…thought you were me?”

“He was blind by then, but yes,” Legolas confirmed as the dwarf Kili and a human boy, presumably Bard’s son Bain, landed on the ground behind him. “How did he know you?”

“He was one of a very few to get away from the hunting party, escaping through a small crevice,” Thranduil said. “And apparently the only one smart enough to wait and grow before trying anything again. He was quite clever for a wyrm.”

“He didn’t like being called that.”

Thranduil looked at the young dwarf, who shrugged, “Smaug didn’t like being called a wyrm. Sent him into a right rage, from what Bilbo said. Course, that let everyone in the mountain distract him.”

“Behind his mind and his fire was the anger of an orc, and in that anger also the relative intelligence of one,” Legolas said dryly.

Thranduil nodded tightly, “Legolas, is there somewhere we might talk privately?”

Not only did he prefer to keep his affection for his son as non-public as he could, but he doubted scolding Legolas in front of the young elf’s new friends would aid him in convincing his son to just come home.

Legolas nodded and began walking towards the other door of the chamber. Thranduil waved off the guards who went to follow them—this was a family matter.

Legolas pulled the thick door shut, “ _Yes_?”

Thranduil was slightly mollified in the switch to their native tongue. Sindarin had always soothed his mind in a way no other language could.

“ _I am…so relieved to find you well_ ,” Thranduil said, pulling his boy close only to let go at Legolas’ squirm.

It was not a motion of emotional discomfort or embarrassment in one’s parent, but of reaction to pain. “ _You are injured_!”

“ _It was a risk I knew I was taking_ ,” Legolas said tightly. “ _I am far from the worst off—father_!” He stepped back from Thranduil’s attempt to inspect him more closely and gave his father a most exasperated look. “ _Ask and I will show you_.”

Throat tight, the Elvenking nodded.

Legolas shrugged off his coat and his vest and began fiddling with the ties on the man-made shirt he wore.

Thranduil’s eyes widened at the vest as it lay on the floor. No longer mostly-hidden by the coat, the scorch marks were evident. “ _So the hair was not some rebellious action, then_?”

“ _Some of it burnt. I asked Kili to cut it to one length for me_ ,” Legolas said, finally getting the shirt off.

Thranduil froze up. Rage and terror and parental concern and sadness welled up at the burns racing in angry red ridges across his son’s back and arm. He laid a hand on Legolas’ left shoulder, just short of the burns. “ _When_?”

“ _When Kili and I went to shoot his eyes. I was getting down the cliff when Smaug started breathing fire. Kili was saved on his side by tripping and falling down to the lower parts of the cliff, but I was still high enough up for…well…_ ” Legolas said. “ _From Oin’s and my estimates my exposure was not long, simply…very, very hot_.”

As much as Thranduil wanted to damn the dwarves for putting his son in such danger and to never allow Legolas to leave the palace again, he knew neither action would endear him to his son at the moment. “ _And your…recovery_?”

“ _Oin says it will scar_ ,” Legolas said. “ _But it hurts much less now and that should fade in a month or two._ ”

“ _Yes, but your hair will take longer, I fear_ ,” Thranduil said, running his fingers though the shortened locks. “ _What is this_?”

He knew it was a bead, a carved, deep green stone pinning his son’s usually-loose two braids together at the back of Legolas’ head. He wanted to know why it was there.

“ _Commemorative bead_ ,” Legolas said. “ _I have Smaug’s left eye, Kili the right. Bilbo has a fang, Bard a jet of flame with his arrow, and Thorin a wing. We were the only five to truly...hurt the dragon. Thorin wasn’t going to give himself one, but not only did he wound Smaug's wing but also his plan to try and trap Smaug before the dragon even got outside hurt the beast_. _So he was argued into it_.”

“ _The King Under the Mountain gave you this_?” Thranduil asked.

“ _Yes_ ,” Legolas answered. “ _The morning after the dragon was slain. Though Bard’s came later as it was not a bead but a pin for his cloak_.”

Now that Thranduil thought about it, there was an odd gold bead by Thorin’s usual silver in the king’s hair. Though that meant Bard's clasp had been made just for him, likely from bit scavenged from the treasure room. Dwarves did not craft badges of honor for others lightly, but then if he was the dragonslayer... “ _I take it you do not care for gold_?”

“ _Bilbo, Kili, and I all prefer our stones_ ,” Legolas said. “ _To be fair, gold would likely hide too well in Bilbo’s hair_.”

 _“…Will you be coming home, then_?” Thranduil asked that which he dreaded to hear answered.

 _“…Will you try to always make me stay there and only there_?”

And that was the crux of it. Thranduil knew that despite securing the throne for his eldest and the army command for his middle, that Legolas was his favored son and he could not bear to let him just walk all over Arda without knowledge of where he was or with whom.

But then Legolas had proven he had friends in many places, including Erebor. And that perhaps some leeway could be granted.

“ _If you were to travel here, or Dale, or the lake, or Rivendell, I suppose I could trust you to do so. But other trips would be considered on their own basis, and likely would not be ones you should make alone_ ,” Thranduil decided. “ _But you have more than proven that you will not stop your wanderings even with a dragon against you, so who am I to try my hand_?”

“ _You are my father_ ,” Legolas said. “ _And I do love you_.”

Thranduil inclined his head head and picked up the discarded garments, “ _And I you, my dearest son_.”

As Legolas re-clothed himself, Thranduil pondered, “ _I must speak to this Oin. Both to thank him and to make sure you have been entirely truthful to me about those burns of yours_.”

“ _Are you…angry with me, about them_?” Legolas asked slowly.

For a brief moment, Thranduil dropped the glamor hiding his own scars. “ _I would be the most hypocritical of parents if I was._ ”

Legolas threw his arms around his father and in that moment Thranduil knew his relationship with his son would be just fine.

“ _I will come home soon. I promise_ ,” Legolas said quietly.

“ _I would like that._ ”

.o.o.o.

It was almost evening when Thranduil returned to where Bard and Thorin were discussing matters. He had gone to see the healer, who predictably had a slightly more harrowing account of Legolas’ injuries to tell, but agreed with Legolas’ assumption that he was fine now. Then he had tried to locate Tauriel, only to fail quite miserably. When he at last entered the kings’ planning room, they were speaking of winter preparations.

“The Greenwood would be willing to give both wood and food,” he said, seating himself with the other kings.

“That would be most welcome,” Thorin said, smiling tightly. “Especially as my cousin Dain will be sending some workers and guards to help with the rebuilding.”

“You need _aid_?” Thranduil asked. “I thought things were going along rather smoothly with just who is here.”

Thankfully Thorin and Bard both took the compliment for what it was and did not look for insults Thranduil had not intended. Or if Thorin did he made so sign of it.

“Dale may or may not be livable in winter,” Bard said. “So my people will likely stay in the mountain as well.”

“We shall see about getting you wood for heat first and foremost then,” Thranduil said. “And King Under the Mountain? She has every reason to be leery of speaking with me, so tell Tauriel she may come back when Legolas eventually wanders his way home. I do not blame her for choosing to keep him safe…as much as anyone _can_ with his tendency to run towards danger.”

“It’s the same with Fili and Kili,” Thorin sighed. “Sensible one and reckless one.”

“Thankfully my children all tend towards not being too reckless, but then I worry they have never had the opportunities to truly be so…” Bard mused worriedly.

“Wait until they’re a bit older,” Thorin advised sagely. “Especially that youngest girl. She looks as though she’d like nothing more than an adventure.”

“Oh, now look what you’ve done,” Thranduil teased as Bard looked at the ceiling as though it was the heavens he was surely asking a plea of.

Thorin gave him a guarded smile and Thranduil relaxed. This was not Thror. This was someone trying to do right by his kingdom, not by himself alone. This was someone being driven mad not by greed but by young ones he saw as sons.

This dwarf was suddenly quite relatable. Would wonders never cease?

“So Legolas is…staying?” Thorin asked.

“He seems to think he will be wandering home sometime soon,” Thranduil shrugged. “If you will give him shelter here I see no reason to remove him, especially as he is with a student at the moment.”

“I thank you,” Bard said. “With my new responsibilities, I have not had time to help Bain with his bow myself. Legolas and Kili are kind to teach him for me.”

“I…also think the current amount of star diamonds you have located will be more than enough, King Under the Mountain,” Thranduil added, recalling Legolas’ admonishment from months ago. Perhaps he had gotten a bit greedy…

.o.o.o.

“That went better than expected,” Thorin admitted to the company and the visiting men of Dale as they all began to settle down for an evening meal. Thranduil had refused a last-minute offer to stay the night, saying he and his men needed so sleep and must get back to the woods.

“I agree,” Legolas said. “I really thought I was about to get dragged home by the ear…”

“I’d pay to see that,” Kili chuckled, wincing as Bain kicked him under the table. “Watch it, kid. Or I won’t show you that trick tomorrow.”

“Bain!” Bard groaned. “Please _try_ to act like I taught you manners.”

Bifur laughed and signed something.

“He says Princess Sigrid got all the manners,” Bombur said, chuckling. “Though he hopes she didn’t get all the aim!”

“Why thank you, Master Bifur!” Sigrid said politely.

“I can aim!” Bain protested.

“One out of every three shots is _not_ aim,” Legolas scolded. “You need to focus more.”

“Are you ever in for it,” Tauriel laughed. “Legolas is infamous among the Wood Elves for being quite fastidious about teaching archery.”

“Tauriel!” Legolas groaned.

“You know,” one of the men said, “In all my dealings with elves I’ve never seen them quite act so…natural, I suppose.”

Bard looked downright horrified at such a frank statement at the table, but was able to relax as it was laughed off by the elves themselves.

“We’ve been under the eye of Mr. Bilbo Baggins,” Tauriel said loftily. “Not saying how you feel or acting like yourself is practically a crime.”

“Oh don’t drag me into this,” Bilbo scolded.

“No, no, she has a point. You almost never let uncle go off and brood after the Carrock, either,” Fili said.

“Brood!” Thorin demanded.

“You heard me,” Fili said smugly.

Thorin glanced at Bilbo, possibly for help, only to see the Hobbit chuckling into his soup.

“I’m sure after we actually have dwarves here outside the company you’ll get some respect, Uncle, don’t worry,” Kili said.

“Lucky. Everyone won’t stop calling me prince already,” Bain grumbled.

“Which you are now, Prince Bain,” Nori pointed out cheekily.

“This will go all night, won’t it?” Gloin asked Dori, who just nodded in fond exasperation.

.o.o.o.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN FATHER’S NOT HERE AND AENOR IS IN THE CELLS?” Lagoron shouted, his deep voice bouncing about the throne room. “I GO OFF AND KIDNAP THE ADOPTED SON OF ELROND HALF-ELVEN HIMSELF-”

“It’s not really kidnapping when I agree to come with you,” Estel said dryly.

“Shush you. Guards, take Estel down to the cells and free my brother. I am not running this kingdom,” Lagoron said. “You…you do not just spring these things on a person!”

“General, your father’s orders were for Prince Aenor to stay locked up until he returned,” one councilor said. “While you are acting regent right now we cannot superceed that order…”

“I. Do. Not. Care!” Lagoron shouted. “GET MY BROTHER OUT OF THAT CELL, NOW!” He rubbed his forehead. “You know, Estel, stay here, actually, stay here.”

Estel smiled wryly, “So this is…possibly a disaster.”

“Here I think we might be going to rescue my brother form a dragon, only to find out my father decided he gets to do that and I have to do his job. Why did we even kidnap you again?”

“I _wasn’t_ kidnapped,” Estel said sternly.

“Of course you were, we just acted like you weren't so Elrond didn’t shoot me on the way out the door,” Lagoron said. “You, guard! Go get some wine! Now! I really need wine now…”

Estel pulled out his whetstone and started sharpening his sword. By the look of things he might be here awhile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it all is mostly worked out in the elven royal family. I do seriously think a LOT of Thrandy's issues were pushing his dislike of Thror off onto Thorin and the whole "you want to wake up a damn dragon!" thing. Also we see how the dwarves and men are trying to prep for winter when all they've got is a lot of ruins.  
> Also, Estel returns! And we see that Lagoron inherited daddy's temper, if a slightly more bombastic version of it. I had so much fun with that scene. Lagoron is the least traditionally elven of the brothers. He's very openly emotional and well, who wouldn't have that kind of a reaction, really?  
> Chapter count may yet increase, seeing as how the BoFA may or may not behave for me.


End file.
